Unintentional Hunger
by The WolvGambit
Summary: AU Vampire CSI & BONES Xover: Sasha van Martin was enjoying her new identity as Temperance Brennan until she met Seeley Booth. There was something about him that made her feel so much more...it was unintended. 3rd book in the HUNGER series. BB GSR
1. Prologue

Unintentional Hunger

Fandoms: ANGEL/BONES/CSI Vegas crossover AU

Paring: Booth/Brennan ; Minor Vincent/Vivian (Gil/Sara) mentions.

Rating: ADULT

Includes: Graphic Sexual Scenes, Torture, Graphic Memory Sequences, Violence, Coarse Language.

Notes: It would be wise to read _Forbidden Hunger_ before starting this fic since the universe will not make since. This is the 3rd and possibly the last book in the HUNGER series. Several instances both past and present intertwine with both _Forbidden Hunger_ and _Irrational Hunger_ from the CSI Vegas plotline.

Summary: AU Vampire - Sasha Van Martin took on her new identity with pride, writing books was something she enjoyed and also her love for Anthropology. Armed with a new face and name she went to Egypt to study some remains of some long ago Egyptians. Everything was going according to plan; that was until she met Seeley Booth. He was just on vacation, but there was something about him that made her feel so much more…it was unintended.

AN: I am posting this to keep me motivated to write it. I've been planning a third book for so long and now I'm getting it started. I plan to finish this series, I plan to finish this piece. I apologize in advance if I take too long to update. My muse comes and goes.

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VOCAB

_Vampire: A new species of human, not necessarily one with common myth. Feeding from humans is rare and often forbidden, they do not kill, garlic and crosses do no damage, and their only enemy is sunlight. Although sunlight is not fatal, it can be increasingly incapacitating to any vampire in its path. After exposure, a vampire usually needs to feed before being cast to sleep. The longer without blood, the more time it takes for the healing process to begin. Decapitation is the only sure way to kill a vampire. If properly taken care of a vampire can last centuries. _

_Half-breeds: A cross between a human and a vampire, often known as 'light-walkers' or 'sun-striders', often outcast from their individual clans when a true-blood mates with a human female or vice versa. Half-breeds are often rare since the union between humans and True-bloods are often discouraged and forbidden. Half-breeds usually have the tendency to crave human blood, when their hunger consumes them they often commit suicide. _

_Bled: Marriage in certain clans; to be bled means that the male and female of a clan have had their blood combined in a basin from slit right wrists and have drank the combined blood under a full moon. _

_True blood or pure blood: A vampire born into a clan with no human relatives, often regarded with the utmost reverence and respect since there are very few in existence. _

_Blood-lust: Where a vampire has waited too long to feed. More experienced vampires can hold off the hunger and live for extended periods of time without feeding. Although it is not advised. _

_Mate: The female or male of a bled couple. _

_The council: A group of vampires that are high in the hierarchy, usually the only true-bloods within the clan. Councils usually consist of five males and five females. They usually vote on clan laws and which members of their clan should be banished for their indiscretions. In certain clans males or females can be banished for not taking a mate, hungering for human blood, and murder is punished very severely. _

_Blood-packers: A group of humans that drain vampires of their blood and sell it to the highest bidder. True-bloods are highly hunted for their blood for its healing properties and aging benefits. A human can live for almost as long as a vampire by regular ingestion of a true-bloods life force.  
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Prologue

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**London 1841  
****The Society Ballroom**

_It felt like ages since she was able to stand somewhere without being immediately seen. Being a halfbreed meant that she couldn't witness some of the affairs the normal society members could. Her father's one deed landed her in a life she was not fond of. She watched as the couples danced and how there was one vampire interested in the local servant, one of her closest and dearest friends Vivian Ross. She remembered her father speak of Vincent Rhodock III. He wasn't like the rest of the purebloods, he was in love with the mortal woman and she felt it refreshing that she wasn't the only one who was different. _

"_Sasha my dear, you know you're not supposed to be here. This is a pureblood ceremony." Her father spoke to her gently with a hand on her shoulder. _

_She turned to face him and looked into his amber eyes, with a sigh she looked down at her feet. "I don't like it that I'm not like the ones around me. Ever since I can remember I've been left out. The only friend I have is Vivian and she's attending the party." _

"_She's a servant because her father was one of us before his capture. Edgar promised to look after her as if she was one of their own. Even though she helps others, Edgar still values her like a daughter." _

"_Yes, but because of your secret you're going to be banished soon." She shook her head and looked at her father once more. "What will become of us? So many purebloods are mixing with humans these days, that's why the society is so strict. Look at Vincent, even he is smitten with my best friend and she's mortal." _

"_Life is often never fair my child. We have to look at the details laid bare before us. I was able to save your mother a life of torment by refusing my blood to her." _

"_Yes, now she sits in your room sick and unable to go anywhere. She's dying and you could've been kind enough to delay it." _

"_And put her through the madness? It is absurd. It's such a horrible way for a human to deal with life, and she'd have to feed off me in timed intervals. Would you rather have your mother the way she is now, or insane?" He pointed out to the dance floor. "Surely you could be happy with what you have. Even though we sometimes stray, the society doesn't turn its eye from us."_

"_That's where you're wrong, father." She looked out at the couples on the floor. Watching them turn to the soft music being played by the orchestra. "I've watched the society change over the past ten years, out of the original ten four remain, they were cast out for not marrying. So you tell me that the society doesn't turn their eyes from us? I will have you rethink that." _

"_Why don't you go see to your mother, I'm sure she's been waiting to see you."_

"_As if she would even remember me." Sasha huffed. "Today is one of her bad days, father. You could stand in front of her and she wouldn't know you." _

"_Just do as you're told and go to her. She is still your mother no matter how forgetful she is." _


	2. One

Disclaimer: I do not own BONES or CSI...

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One

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**Cargo Ship Soon Porting In: **

**Cairo, Egypt **

**Present Day**

Temperance Brennan looked out to the crystal clear waters beneath her as she looked over the small boat deck. The heat was normal for that part of the day as the sun was high in the sky and heat waves could be seen on the sand towards shore. Uncapping her water bottle she took a few sips of the cool liquid and gently sat on a beach chair that was one of many on deck. The sun must've been getting to her since she was having those dreams again, those long thought forgotten memories of her past that she didn't wish to relive.

It was harsh and cruel to think that the people she was with were not her family anymore, not her friends. They'd all abandoned her when she needed them most. Just because she wasn't like them, just because they didn't believe her. So she left and never trusted anyone like that ever again, how could she?

Sighing softly, she pulled the hair tie she kept around her wrist towards the palm of her hand while she ran her fingers through her long brown hair to get rid of some of the tangles. Gathering the strands in her hands, she pulled it up into a high ponytail and then doubled it over into a tight bun to keep it off the back of her neck.

It was getting harder and harder to keep a solid supply of blood as of late, the bags she had brought with her were being exhausted from use because of the heat. Sure, she wouldn't die from not ingesting it, but she wouldn't be able to control the hunger for the people around her. Dehydration was what was stretching her supply to the very thinnest that had ever been recorded and she'd have to wait to get to her small lodging in the central city before her shipment of blood was due. With the way the traffic was going, she would be right on schedule.

Taking a towel from her shoulder she gently wiped off the back of her neck where the sweat had gathered and was making its way towards the top of her tank top to gather between her shoulder blades. Finally the boat whistle blew signaling her arrival as she blew out another long sigh. Twenty-four hours to eat, rest, unpack, have her blood rations, and then off to the dig site. So much to do, so little time.

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Seeley Booth was often fascinated by history, if something happened within a set time frame he liked to know about it. Of course he was like every other guy balancing out sports with various other shows, but he did like to view a documentary every once in a while. He'd been saving up to go to Egypt for a very long time and the pyramids were only half the show.

Taking the stairs to the upper deck, he paused to look out at the horizon and the sandy beaches that held a lot of luster and wonder all the way to seeing the pyramids in the distance. It was a beautiful sight with the sun high in the sky casting shadows on the more intricate details. That's when he felt something, or rather someone bump into his side. He instantly righted her as she hastily apologized.

"It's alright, no harm done. Just make sure that you turn the corner a bit more slowly next time." He replied with a bright smile and then turned back out to face the view.

During the brief interaction he'd had time to get a look at her. She was beautiful with soft brown hair and soft sea colored eyes, her face had delicate features, but she seemed to carry a weight with her that surpassed her age. He figured her for about the same age as himself. Sighing he continued to look out towards the front of the ship seeing the port on the horizon and then turned to make his way back to his room to gather his things.

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Her senses were on fire, his scent in her nose. She felt crowded on deck and was trying to get below; the hunger consuming her. For some unknown reason he felt familiar to her, like a long lost memory, like something forgotten but then found again. The reason unknown, the territory so strikingly absent, she rushed to her mini refrigerator and consumed the rest of the blood in it.

She looked down at her feet and took a couple of deep breaths before wiping her face with a napkin and tossing the empty bags in her trash to dispose of later. Why did he seem so familiar to her?

XX

_She didn't like going to see her mother since she hardly ever remembered her. Some days she could remember everything and other days she was just lost to the world. Sasha couldn't for the life of her understand why her father decided to keep her mother this way. To her, it was unbearable. She found out once, by the society physician, that her blood was safe for human consumption, it wasn't as strong as a pure bloods, but it would serve it's purpose. Her father refused to let her help._

"_**She wanted a mortal life, Sasha…" He had said. "Why would I refuse her what she wished?"**_

_As she was lost in thought, she felt a bump against her side, then someone righting her before she fell. _

"_I'm so sorry, miss. Please forgive my haste. missus Martin needed her sheets changed." The young man bowed before her. _

"_It's alright, I wasn't paying attention." His hazel eyes and frame called to her. He was tall, but not overly so, dark hair, and a finely toned body. He was a fit male, and he smelled so very good. _

"_What is your name?" She found herself asking. _

"_Liam." He spoke softly, his accent thickening. He was Irish. "My mother was one of you, my father passed away three years ago, my mother was murdered." _

"_I am sorry to hear." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am glad that you are being cared for." _

"_Aye, they treat me well." He bowed his head. "I have been assigned to pack a carriage for miss Ross." _

"_She's leaving?" Her heart stopped before it slowly began again. "She never told me."_

_His eyes widened as he covered his mouth. "Oh, she didn't want anyone to know, they might tell Vincent. Please don't say anything to anyone that I told you." _

_Liam turned to walk away but she grabbed his arm and he stopped. "I won't say anything. But I'm her best friend, she should've told me." She looked at him. _

"_You are Lady Martin?" He bowed before her. "Please forgive me." _

_She ignored his statement. "You're like her aren't you?"_

"_Yes, I have less time than her to live." _

"_I could help you." _

"_No, nobody can." He turned away from her. "I've had the best of doctors the society can buy, even Al believes my case is hopeless. Not even your blood can help me." _

_Sasha didn't understand why she was asking these questions, but something inside her shook when she breathed in his scent. She was enthralled by him, completely taken, but he wasn't going to live. _

"_I won't tell a soul, I promise. But I want to know if you'll let me keep you company." She asked, his eyes still downcast._

"_Why would you do that?" His tone was strained. "I am dying, it is inevitable, you will outlive me in every way."_

"_Sometimes the littlest kindnesses are the best medicine." She looked back at the ballroom entrance she had vacated only moments before. "I think it's another reason why Vincent favors Vivian. He sees something in her." _

XX

Her body froze, it couldn't be. He died before she left. She held his hand in hers as his life ebbed away. However, the scent was almost exactly the same, it made her body shudder and come to life just the same. Why was life so cruel to her? She had heard Vincent speak once about two souls finding one another over time. However, Liam died over a hundred years ago. Two months after her mother, a month after Vincent returned only to be sent away again. But it couldn't be him, she didn't believe in that soul recognition for someone she only knew for a few months and not years. She hadn't ran into him until that night.

Now her fangs ached as they did when she was that young girl hanging onto that young man. A young girl who watched her mother die, learned of her friends death, and watched a man that had become her lover die of a poison that she could not cure. The same that had killed her best friend. Sighing, she finished packing her materials and started heading for the main deck. They would be departing soon and she had a dig sight to attend to.

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Seeley scratched his head as he watched the woman in front of him walk. She was the same one he had ran into before, the same one he saw watching him before they exited the ship, the same one that bumped into him. Her posture seemed strained, as if she was in pain, as if something had happened between then and now.

He couldn't explain why, but he felt drawn to her for reasons unknown, as if he had known her but he couldn't recall from where. There wasn't a lot of people he could remember from his photography, surely he'd remember her face if he'd pictured her before. But sadly, his mind was empty.

Then he remembered where he'd seen her face, the books she'd written. It was too good to be true, Temperance Brennan had bumped into him. He watched as she turned left towards the same set of hotels that he was going to be lodging in and he breathed in and out so quickly he thought he'd hyperventilate. It was just too good to be true.

"Temperance?"

And that's when she turned around, her eyes connecting with his and a jolt of electricity shot through his body.

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"I seem to be at a loss, you know my name but I do not know yours." She said softly, trying to hide the fact that her fangs had elongated when he had said her name. Even his voice was practically similar, minus the accent, and the way he looked at her as if he'd recognized her. But he couldn't have, it wasn't possible.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive me." He extended his hand. "Seeley Booth, Photographer for National Geographic.

"Are you here for work?" She asked as she signed the papers on the desk. The hotel wasn't really lavish, but it had some beautiful Egyptian tapestry and some lovely pottery. There was a lush and homey waiting room with some comfortable furniture and she was sure that beyond that there was a kitchen down the hall. It had been a while since she had stayed here so it would take a bit to get her bearings back.

"No, vacation. But I'd like to take a few pictures for some freelance work. I was asked to cover a dig sight while I was here." He smiled. "I do believe it's the one you're working on."

"Imagine that." She sighed. "I do hate to be rude but I really want to go to my room and get ready for tomorrow."

"Oh it's not a problem, but would you like to join me for dinner?" He pulled one of her books from his pack. "I'd like to talk to you about your inspiration. These books are wonderful reads."

"Of course."

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She fell to the bed in front of her and it provided little comfort. Her body strung up on a hungered high that she couldn't fight. A bag of blood later and she was still restless and weary. Fighting for control, she considered calling off dinner with him until she heard a knock on the door, completely forgetting that she'd given him her room number.

"Temperance?" She heard his voice through the door and her body hummed to life. It wasn't fair, not now, not ever. Sighing, she pulled on a shirt and opened the door to greet his smiling face. "You still up for dinner?"

"Yes, I am hungry." _In more ways than one, you are tempting me._

She watched as he held out his arm to her and she was taken back to another place and time.

XX

"_I don't think your father approves of us, Sasha." She heard Liam's lit drawl in her ear. "I mean, I'm not like the others."_

_Her gaze turned to him as they sat out on the terrace, the sunlight on her skin. "My father wants me to marry a pureblood. But I know better, none of them will accept me because I'm not pure as they are." _

"_But what is to become of us? I'm dying as you are aware and yet I find myself completely enamored by you." He placed a hand on her cheek. _

"_I feel the same for you, Liam." She turned her head into his palm and kissed it. "Which is why I'm not going to do what my father wants. If he wanted to stay here so badly, he wouldn't have married my mother." _

"_But then, you wouldn't be here and for what it's worth I would be alone." He leaned forward. "I know that this is so sudden, but I love you." _

"_It is, but why deny what we feel?" She captured the back of his neck with her hand, running her fingers through the raven strands and pulling him forward. Their lips connecting together in a heated tussle as tongues dueled and his tongue traced her fangs. Her moan answered his as she pulled away. "Why do you tease me?"_

"_Because I am not afraid." He tilted his head to the side. "I want you to." _

_She traced her fingertips over his neck, the muscle cording tightly then releasing as he sighed. _

"_I couldn't stand to take something so precious from you." Her eyes closed as a tear trailed down her cheek. "You need it more than I."_

"_But you hunger for me, yes?" He pulled her closer. "Just as I for you." _

"_So very much." Was her answer as she let him guide her. Her tongue teasing the skin, her fangs gently scratching the surface. She was in his lap rocking against him, ready and yearning as she felt him hard against her. Her fangs penetrated gently as he bucked underneath her, his blood like a drug as she latched on and took a few swallows before closing the wound. His body was wound tight as he rolled her on top of him, groaning at the heat she provided. _

"_I'd like to be with you tonight." He whispered softly. "If you'd honor me so." _

"_Yes...but it is you who honor me." _

XX

"Temperance?" She heard her name in that husky tone and turned to him, his eyes confused as they were still standing outside her door in the hallway. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I must be hungrier than I thought."


	3. Two

Disclaimer: I do not own BONES or CSI...

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Two

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He'd stopped tracking her since she had given him the slip. Sure, she should've known better than to have a photo of herself on books. It wasn't likely that he could ever have forgotten that face. Not in all of his years. Any connection to Vincent was a connection he could use. She would pay just as her father had, it was just a matter of time.

"Sire, there are no more leads, the contact going to Cairo lost her."

"Tell him to come home." He stated as he looked at the map. "We'll need the manpower if we are to find Vincent."

"Of course."

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Dinner was a casual affair, the food was wonderful and the company was making him feel better than he had in years. Especially after the fiasco with Rebecca. Now he was lucky to get visitation rights to see his son. Parker was a good kid, a wonderful kid, and he wanted to be the best father he could, if only his ex would let him do so. But he didn't want to think about that right now, all he could really concentrate on was the woman in front of him talking about her fascination with Anthropology and the inspiration for her Vampire novels.

"I really like the legends, even though they don't exist, I find it interesting how many people find them as fascinating as I do." She smiled brightly as she finished off her plate. "I mean, it's one of today's many cultural standing points."

"I wouldn't say that, it just reads so real. It reads like you were there." He pointed out as he put the book on the table and opened to a page.

"_**I never thought I'd see him again, his eyes, his face, his smile. The memories still haunt me; even now as I sit here in the dark writing this. I think that I'll always remember. Drake often spoke of soul recognition, I never really had a thought to believe him to the contrary, especially when it'd been over a hundred years since Roberts' death. I have yet to find another man that will fit him.**_

" _**-Why do you hide?- Sara asked me softly, the candles still lit. - Robert is not the only man you'll love.-**_

" _**- No. - I replied - He may not be, but I will love him until I take my last breath and no one can tell me differently.- "**_

"Please, I know. I wrote it." She sighed and he paused taking in her expression and features. It appeared that she'd lost someone, maybe even several people close to her.

"I hope I'm not being too forward in asking this, but did you lose someone?"

"Yes, I have lost many. My mother, my father, and my lover who I never was able to marry." Her voice was soft, distant. "I do not want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry."

"You were not there, therefore you have nothing to be sorry for." He watched as she placed her napkin atop her plate and tried to get some money from her purse.

"You don't need to do that, dinner is on me." He placed a hand atop hers and he felt that same shock again as before.

"You are too kind, Seeley. I'll see you at the dig tomorrow, six a.m. Don't be late."

"I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Goodnight."

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She couldn't fault him, he didn't know. But those books were memories that she could not forget but wanted to put them down just the same. Memories of a troubled past, memories that were all her own. Only the names had been changed to protect her identity from the blood packers and not even they knew that they were memories for the societies rules and locations weren't in the books.

His touch, his scent, his voice; everything was getting to her and she couldn't relax, couldn't sit still, couldn't hold onto anything. At the very end of her stay she lost a mother who didn't remember her and a man that she loved dearly. Then her and her father were cast out.

She shut her door behind her with a thud and sat on the generic bed, the red sheets less than welcoming as she untied her hair and peeled off her clothes. As the years went by she found she liked sleeping nude, it was refreshing, comfortable, and less constricting. However, in hotels she kept a silk gown in her travel case.

Brushing out her hair, she turned towards the mirror as a new wave of memories cast over her, more pleasurable than the last, but still heartbreaking all the same. But this time the memory turned into more of a fantasy and she had to try to fight it. Though the fight was in vain as she looked at herself, fangs extended, body taut and ready. Eyes red as blood rimmed with gold. Seeley Booth had caused this for her, him and him alone; no other man before Liam and now she believed in what Vincent had told her so long ago. Her soul recognized his and it was overwhelming.

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He entered his room with a whistle and a smile, turning the key in the lock and looked at his room before shutting the door behind him. Tossing his keys to the side table and putting the book next to them, he stripped his shirt and got ready for a shower.

He thought for a bit, Temperance was an interesting and beautiful woman. He'd never even felt this way about Rebecca when they'd been together. Sure, she was beautiful in her own way, thoughtful, loving. Until he'd come home one day to find her in bed with another man. The bitter divorce followed, the pain, the custody battle, and tears. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. His whole body felt taut with what Temperance brought out in him. It was as if she called out to a primal part of his psych, a deep place, a sacred place. The way that she wrote her books it felt as if he'd been there before. Seeley couldn't explain it but it felt so right.

Sighing, he stripped the rest of the way and stepped under the hot spray; the water easing the tension in his body but only so much as he remembered how she looked at him on the ship earlier in the day. A look of pure hunger, something he was unaccustomed to seeing directed at himself. He was hard instantly, to the point of pain, and Seeley groaned at the feeling. Why was he feeling like this?

Placing an arm above his head he leaned against the shower wall, letting the water travel down his body and over his torso. It was as if her hunger had called out his, but he barely knew her. Sighing softly, he fisted himself with exact pressure and started to try and relieve the tension. Groaning, he leaned his head back feeling the jets belt against his neck and trail down his body, over his erection wetting it just enough so that he could pump effectively.

Working himself, he groaned as he released heavily, sated for the moment he washed himself and stepped out. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he looked at himself in the mirror, he looked wild, possessed; hungry. Running a hand through his hair he sighed and went to the bedroom and changed into a pair of sweats before slipping between the sheets and flicking off the lamp.

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She was restless, hot, bothered, and frustrated. Taut with tension, she threw off the covers and started pacing. Her dreams filled with those old memories as she tried to sleep but could not. At least they weren't nightmares like she always had, but the memories turning into erotic dreams only made her body ache worse. Vincent's words taunted her; seized her memory like a vice.

XX

"_Sasha my dear, you spend much of your time in the library as dear Vivian." He smiled brightly and sat next to her. "How do you both find the time?"_

"_It's not hard to do, even though she works during the day she often comes in here and finishes the books she's started. I have only time." She turned to face the window, the night sky full of stars greeting her vision. "I find it unfair that I have all of this and she is but a servant because of her blood." _

"_Vivian is so much more than that, and so is the young man you fancy." He smiled as he pulled a book from the shelf. _

"_How do you love someone who is dying?"_

"_I have the knowledge that our souls will meet again." Came his simple reply. "I know for a fact that I will only be alone for a little while until she is reborn. You will find Liam again." _

"_I have to say that I could not believe in something such as that. I will live centuries more than he will, he is only human and what frailty that he has is because of a genetic curse." _

"_Do you know what is so special about you, Lady Martin?" Vincent said suddenly._

_Her eyes met his, confused and hollow. "No."_

"_Your blood, my dear." He stated simply. "You will be able to ensure his longevity when you find him again. He will not be cursed with the insanity that our blood causes humans. I would not put Vivian through the madness, it would be her choice." _

"_My father spoke of it but he would not explain it to me." She turned away. "He told me that mother wished to remain mortal, that she did not want to live for more than her time."_

"_Some humans do not wish to share, they wish to grow old. This is true for most of them, it is why we shouldn't fall in love with them. However, some of us do like I and your father and now you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You should love him while you can, while he is able. Stay with him until his final breath, then when the time is right your soul will call out to his no matter where you are. Have faith." _

XX

Sighing, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. It was going to be a long night.

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"Lady Martin is in Cairo at this time, are you sure you do not wish for me to find her now?" The servant asked as he turned towards the lobby. "It appears she has someone with her, a man of mortal flesh."

"Hmmm...of mortal flesh you say?" Came the rasp on the other end of the receiver. "He might prove useful, does she seem attached to him?"

"I will have to continue my observance, but I assure you that I am never wrong about these things."

"No, you are not. Follow them and stay out of sight. Report back to me with what you find. Do not make a move until I say."

"But of course, Master. I will obey your wishes."

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Temperance groaned as her internal clock told her it was time to wake up. Shuffling her feet, she entered the bathroom and started her shower. Stripping off her gown, she eased into the heated spray and started to wet her hair before shampooing. Her sleep was interrupted several times by nightmares, sure most of her dreams were pleasurable and bordered on erotic, but the passages Seeley read from that book reminded her of the night her father was murdered.

Benjamin, a name that made her seethe in anger; boil with hatred. A name she never spoke aloud. He would pay penance for his crimes, she was sure of it, but that night would forever haunt her. They had just moved to America, nice apartment, lovely neighborhood. But the main Master had been looking for Vincent. He had escaped and disgraced him in front of his followers. The man had a debt to collect and seemingly he collected it out of her father.

Sighing softly, Temperance shut off the taps and squeezed the excess water out of her hair before grabbing the towel from the bar above and wrapping it around her waist. She then pulled the curtain back and grabbed another towel on the shelf next to the door to wrap up her hair. Wiping the condensation off of the mirror, she brushed her teeth, applied lotion, and then started to blow-dry her hair.

She dreaded the dig today, the heat being her main problem; the second being the man that was causing her current hunger. Grumbling, she turned off the dryer and proceeded to put on the clothes she'd need for the dig today. A comfortable white shirt, some shorts, and a pair of comfortable walking shoes. On her way down to the lobby, Temperance grabbed a bottle of water before locking her room behind her, pocketing her keys as she went.

As she walked off the elevator, his scent automatically saturated the inside of her nose; a musty and thick smell, purely male, and oh so desirable. The cologne he wore, soft and elegant, not overbearing added a spice to the mix causing her upper jaw to go tight with tension. Turning her head, she came into contact with Seeley Booth, his body turned away from her wearing a light blue button down and a pair of blue jean shorts, his shoes were white and navy blue converse sneakers. Around his neck hung a heavy camera, perched on his head were a pair of sunglasses. After a moment, he turned to face her; his smile radiant as he pulled the sunglasses from the perch on his head and folded them between his fingertips on his right hand.

"You're quite punctual." He smiled after he looked at his watch. "You ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." She turned to the fruit cart and grabbed an apple. Then thought about it and grabbed a second one, handing it to him.

"Thanks."

She nodded and turned to face forward as she bit into the fruit with a sigh of satisfaction. Her fangs sinking deeply into the fruit, the pressure welcome against the ache. Temperance remembered their dinner conversation the night before, the lie she had told him about not believing in Vampires when, in fact, she was one herself. If he was Liam reincarnated, how could she tell him without startling him?

Her mind quickly shook it off again as he flagged down a cab, the person almost running him down as she pulled him out of the way. She looked at the cabbie and he quickly gulped and apologized before asking where they needed to go.

"There is a dig sight at the end of the peer near the eastern docks, are you aware of it?"

"Yes, is that where you need to go."

She nodded.

"Right away."

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The servant narrowed his eyes as they entered the cab together and started towards the dig sight that had been opened several days before. He recognized the mortal man as a familiar, someone that had lived a previous life. The master would be pleased by this information, it would give him leverage to find Vincent. No one escapes the master, not even the bravest and hardest of souls.

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Seeley looked around at the site before snapping off a few pictures of Temperance herself and a few of the other diggers. They were miles away from one of the biggest Pyramids in Cairo and the most he could see, besides the tall structure, were sand dunes. Wiping his wet brow with the sleeve of his shirt, he turned to Temperance and watched as she gently uncovered artifacts with a few short flicks of her brush. Her fingers worked in a methodical, yet tidy, way and he found himself wondering if she payed the same attention to everything she did.

Shaking his head at the thoughts, Seeley put the lens cap on the camera before easing it atop her bag. "What'cha got there Tempe?"

Her eyes met his briefly before gently lifting what she had uncovered. The smooth clay so very fragile as she handed it to one of the fellow diggers. "Just a few small things, this looks like an average sized burrial site. I've uncovered a male in his early teens and two females close to their twenties. I believe their families buried them here."

"They weren't mumified?"

"No." She paused to take a drink of water, he watched her throat extend and contract with every sip. Sweat trailed down to the gap in her top to rest in between her clevage. "That was usually reserved for the Pharo and his most honored."

"I see." Seeley knelt beside her, the sand gritting into his skin and burning a little. "What's their story?"

"The male died from a blow to the head." She stated as she gently eased the skull from the sand. "See the mark here?" She pointed to the indention on the lower part of the skull. "Most likely due to a fall."

"And the two women?"

"That I am unsure of. Only one has given birth." Temperance pointed to the skeleton on the right. "And if I had to put together a hypothesis I'd say the young girl to the left died from an infection. The bone on her left femur is broken and the discoloration suggests an infection of some sort. The leg never healed." She then pointed to her lower ribs. "There's also some deep lacerations to the lower ribs."

Seeley nodded utterly facinated by her knowledge. He took his time, looking at her. She was beautiful with her dark hair tied up in a tight bun with some loose trendles fanning her face. Sweat glistened upon her skin, golden and taunt. Her eyes focused on him then, noticing his apprasial of her person and they were richer than before. A deep calming blue, the color of the sky after rain clouds disappeared. He found himself swallowed by their depths.

"It's time to take a break and grab some lunch." He finally spoke. "My treat."

"You treated me yesterday, Seeley. I would be unethical to take advantage of you." She replied as she eased herself up the ladder.

"You're not taking advantage of me, Tempe. I'm a gentleman and a gentleman never lets a lady pay."

"Fine." Temperance shrugged. "But it is not needed."

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"I have heard that Rikland has found Sasha." Ben looked at the servants before him.

"Yes." One spoke. "It is also said that she has a mortal companion."

"Hmm." He smiled. "Well now, I see this as our advantage. I heard that she had taken on a human mate in the society just as Vincent did."

"It is true, Master." Spoke another. "He had the same illness as the woman."

Ben rubbed a hand across his chin in curiosity. "I believe that I can use my cover to my advantage. I think it's time to check up on a retired colleague of mine. James Brass."

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She found it easy to keep conversation with him and it amazed her. Especially when conversation was the last thing on her mind as she sat across from him at the table in the small diner. They had just finished their meal and Temperance was completely caught off guard when he wiped off some mayonnaise from the corner of her mouth with a napkin. It was impossible for him to know that he was engaging in mating behavior. Seeley Booth was human, unattainable to her, and drove her completely mad. She shouldn't even be here with him.

"What's wrong, Tempe? You got quiet on me." She heard him ask as he placed his credit card in the hands of the waitress to pay the bill.

"I feel as though I'm at a loss." Temperance sighed in response.

"How so?"

How would she explain it to him? How could she say that he reminded her of her past love in more ways than one. He looked like him, spoke like him, walked like him, even smelled like him. Temperance couldn't say these things and it kept her quiet. Thankfully they were interrupted by the arrival of the receipt.

"Thank you for lunch and your pleasant conversation."

"My pleasure, Temperance." He smiled and she swore she felt her heart break. "Can I see you again sometime?"

"I'm not sure." And with those words she walked away before he had a chance to ask what she meant.


	4. Three

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Three

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Seeley felt stranded as he watched her walk away from him. It didn't seem normal to feel this way about a woman he barely knew, but there was something about her that completely pulled him in. Her smile, her intelligence, the color of her eyes. Temperance was a beautiful woman in her own right and that was only part of it. Every time they touched he felt an electricity that was hard to ignore; every time their eyes met he wanted to drown in their depths. She had awakened something in him and he was addicted to that feeling.

Briefly, he wondered, if she had felt the same way. She acted like she did but her behaviors had puzzled him. Seeley had found himself completely and utterly curious and when she responded in that confused manor, he found himself puzzled. By the time he had made it outside to ask, Temperance was gone.

Sighing, he waved down a cab and went back to the hotel, hopefully he'd be able to coax her to dinner. Albeit, he wondered what would become of this. In two weeks he'd be leaving to go back to the states and where would it leave them? Suddenly Seeley realized he needed to know where she lived so he could migrate closer or even just move to the same area. He knew he was getting ahead of himself but the force she had was completely magnetic.

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Her mind was scattered and she couldn't even concentrate on her work; it was discontenting. Temperance had never had so much trouble focusing in the past hundred years of her life. These days had been about her work and writing her recollections for others to read as fictional. Her work journals were tossed aside, certainly askew, and she pulled out several of her personal journals from the society years.

She couldn't decide which problem was the most unsettling. The ache in her mouth, the deep gnawing hunger, or the fever that spread through her body and centered in her groin. Seeley's hazel eyes came to mind and her entire body shuddered. Temperance found she was fooling herself if she tried to deny these feelings any longer.

XX

_Liam sighed as she eased him onto the mattress his medium length hair fanning out on the pillow beneath his head. His hazel eyes connecting with hers and holding her gaze. A gasping wheeze left his lips as he coughed a few times. "You don't need to be taking care of me, you know?"_

_Sasha looked upon him with a teary smile. "I will not leave you." _

"_You sound like Vincent. Sometimes I believe him to be your father instead of Christain, you know?" He chuckled softly. "Milly would be proud of you." _

"_Mother doesn't remember me anymore, Liam." She shook her head. "Father won't let anyone help. I wonder why she chose a mortal life." _

"_Sometimes we don't have to understand everything." He shrugged. "We just are who we are." _

"_I suppose so." She sat on the bed and gently eased his hair out of his eyes. "I love you." _

"_And I love you, lass. Come to bed now." _

XX

A knock at the door broke her out of her haze as she checked the peep-hole. Sighing, she opened the door to reveal Seeley Booth on the other side. He was wearing a lavender button shirt with a pair of black slacks. Her body flared to life and her fangs punched out of their housings, scraping her tongue in the process. Temperance groaned internally at the intrusion and sighed.

"I was wondering if you were hungry?"

_I am but not for food._ She thought woefully. "No."

"Oh..." He sighed, but she could tell he wasn't deterred in his quest. "Can I buy you a drink then?"

She shook her head and pointed to the journals on the floor, finally feeling her fangs retract. "I've got a lot of work to do, Seeley."

"Take a break." He smirked.

"I wish I could, unlike you, I'm not on vacation."

"I can tell you work too much, Temperance. Don't you ever just have fun?" Seeley asked and she just wished he'd take the hint and walk away.

"Sometimes, but not tonight."

"Tempe..."

"No, Seeley." She held up her hand. "Goodnight."

Sighing in relief as she was finally able to shut the door between them; Temperance leaned up against the cool wooden surface and praised it for taking some of the heat out of her feverish skin. The next two weeks were going to be torture. His scent still filled her nostrils and she found it hard to let go, the memories it triggered, the happiness and despair filled her to the brim and she shook it away.

Too wired to continue working, she pulled out a bag of blood from the fridge and let her fangs elongate before punching them into the crimson liquid. Sighing relief, she turned to the journals and started looking over X-Rays. It was going to be a long night, that was for certain.

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Seeley was confused, he was almost certain he didn't read her wrong when he thought she was interested. The looks she gave him, the conversations, the quiet laughter. He could've sworn she was just as interested in him as he was in her. Sitting at the bar, scotch in hand, he contemplated all the signs and compiled them together. Was he missing something?

Then again, what would a beautiful and accomplished woman like her want with a photographer? Sighing, Seeley continued to get lost in his thoughts when out of the corner of his eye he witnessed a flash of brown hair shimmering under the lights and the object of his thoughts seemingly materialized beside him. It had to be a booze induced dream even though he'd barely had a few sips.

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He'd interrupted her thought process and she couldn't stand it any longer. Her mind utterly taken over by the memories and all consuming hunger, she made her way downstairs into the small bar/restaurant past the main lobby. He was sitting there cradling a glass of amber liquid, swirling the ice. His back was relaxed and taut at the same time, smooth yet defined. Her body flared to life as she eased in the seat next to him giving in to the inevitable.

"I thought that you weren't hungry."

"I'm not." She replied, giving him a small smile. "But the drink you offered is sounding better and better. I've been overwhelmed with the Journals and organization since after lunch. I'd ordered room service for dinner."

"I see." He smiled back and waved down the bartender. "What can I get you?"

"Whatever you are drinking."

As he passed the order off, she watched his profile. Seeley was a stunning male, one of healthy endurance and maybe at least five to six years older than her human age of thirty. His scent filled her nose again and this time she took the measurable moment to separate the smoky fragrance. A hint of spice was the first recognizable, his cologne, followed by a deep male haze and a heavy musk which she figured was his natural smell. If he were a vampire, she'd consider it his courting mark.

The glass clinked against the counter of the bar breaking her out of her haze and she watched as condensation started to clutch the smooth surface before descending to the coaster beneath. Temperance shuddered as she picked up the cool drink its temperature easing the burn on her fevered skin. The chill easing the pain in her mouth as she sucked an ice cube to ease the burn behind the housings for her fangs.

"So what's got you so frustrated, Temperance?" She heard him ask as he swirled the ice in his drink.

"I've been putting the files in chronological order according to age and approximate year of death. I'll be going back to the lab tomorrow to help identify cause of death."

"Sounds interesting." She watched as he took a sip, his Adam's apple bobbing with each swallow.

"It is, I find it fascinating." Finally in her element she continued to talk about her findings, the uniqueness of the Egyptian culture, and Temperance found herself inspired by his eagerness to learn.

Scotch wasn't something she normally drank but it burned in a good way, an interesting way. It made it easier for her to talk to him, eased the pain in her fangs, caressed the ache and kept them from extending. Though, she knew she wouldn't be able to withstand the burn for long.

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"I feel that Sasha is becoming close to this human." He looked at the couple while he switched hands on the payphone.

"_Well then, you will take the human on my command. One of these will lead us to Vincent and in turn to the other woman."_

"Yes sir Benjamin. He will rue the day he met you."

"_You just make sure to bring him to your dungeon. Once I am successful in the capture of James Brass you will bring Sasha's companion to me. I will alert you with the proceedings." _

After those last few words the phone clicked and a dial tone greeted the man's ear. With a sneer he swallowed down the rest of his whiskey and left the bar.

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Seeley smiled as they walked towards her room, their conversation from the bar still in full-tilt. He found her more informative that the tour he'd taken after lunch. She had just finished the mummification process as they reached her door and the smile that she nailed him with caused fire to spear through his body. Something in her called to him and he feared that he wouldn't be able to stop from kissing her. He'd just met her and this shouldn't be happening so fast.

As he watched her open the door, her body filling out her clothes in that methodical matter, he found himself answering an unknown force. A hunger like no other consumed him to his very core as she turned to bid him goodnight. Her sea-colored eyes lightening to the color of dense fog as she eased into her room and closed the door. The dilated pupils and slight hitch in her breathing signaling her light arousal. Seeley walked away slowly and hesitantly, trying so hard not to knock on the door and give into his baser instincts.

"Goodnight Temperance." He said as he gently traced his fingertips along the doors surface before walking down the hall and boarding the elevator towards his floor.

It felt like a mile walk in the desert as he eased himself inside his room and leaned against the door after he shut it; his fevered skin cooled by the gentle chill as he heaved his shirt over his head and tossed it across the room. Running his hands through his hair, he walked to the bathroom and turned the water on cold before stripping and stepping under the spray.

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As soon as she shut the door, Temperance dashed to her fridge and pulled out one of the many bags of blood still left inside. Her fangs descended instantly, the cold liquid easing the tension in her body but not completely quenching her desire. Her work would go unfinished tonight, she knew, because this man had left her utterly twisted up inside.

Groaning, she leaned back after she drained the bag and licked her lips. Memories flooded her vision once again, sights, sounds, smells, and it sent her reeling once again.

XX

"_This is madness, Sasha. Your father..."_

"_Doesn't need to know every single detail of my life, Liam." She shook her head and led him down the hallway towards her room. Most all the inhabitants were in their beds during the day and it was the perfect time to sneak about. "I want to spend time with you, is that so wrong?"_

_He stopped her just before they entered her room, the heavy door only halfway open and beads of sunlight caressing the intricate details. "I am unworthy of you, in so many ways. Why can you not see the other males in this house?"_

"_Because they are not you." Sasha caressed his brow, gently easing his hair behind his ear before tracing the line of his jaw. "I do not feel the heat in their eyes, in their touch, as I do you. I feel more alive than I ever have before, Liam and you make it possible." _

_She placed her hand over his heat, feeling his pulse rise and his skin heat. "You honor me with what I never thought I'd have, love." _

"_You honor me with your kindness, your smiles, your beauty. Who is my father to judge me when he married a human outside of the society?" She questioned as a tear trailed down her cheek. "Who is he to question where my heart lies?"_

_His lips descended on hers, warm and smooth, slick and hot, and she thought she'd pass out from the sheer intensity of the moment. _

"_I cannot mark you as mine, Sasha. I wish I could." He whispered breathlessly against her lips before claiming them again._

"_Everyone will know who I belong to. You have a scent all your own, and even if it is not as strong as the others, they will still know." She panted. "Have I ever told you how delightful you smell?"_

"_No." Liam gasped as she removed his top, pulling the fabric over his head. "Tell me."_

"_Smoky and sweet at the same time, spicy and so utterly male. You love spending time outside, the grass, the pine, the sweet smell of the roses in the west garden." She traced her tongue along his neck. "The tang of cinnamon and apple pie from the kitchen. Must be your favorite." _

_He shuddered in her grasp, his heart rate rising as they fell to the bed together. She pulled him on top of her, his trousers still on his legs, the strings partly undone. Sasha keened softly as he settled in the cradle of her thighs, his erection firm against her center. "Mum always made me apple pie." _

"_Mmm." She smiled and pulled him in for another kiss nipping at his bottom lip with her fangs and he groaned bucking into her. "Liam."_

"_Sasha." _

XX

Temperance sighed softly as she closed her journal and set it aside on the end table next to the bed and looked to the dresser beside the door. The book _Eternal Soul_ mocked her, her face on the back of the book in plain view to her enemies. It wasn't even her idea, her publicist made the jacket cover before she had a chance to stop her.

Now she had to face work with her mind full of jumbled thoughts, it was going to be a long day.


	5. Four

AN: I'd like to thank those of you who are reading this!

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Four

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"Temperance, you seem distracted today." A young man from the lab noted as he finished organizing the remains.

"I'm sorry Zach. I've been searching for a book a friend of mine recommended and I have been unsuccessful in finding it." She sighed. "It's a rarity since the man usually writes entomology books."

"Oh, I see." He smiled. "What's the author?"

"Gil Grissom."

"I have the book and I've read it several times. Would you like it?"

"Yes, please."

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"I am not pleased with out progress." Ben looked at the map in front of him as he clasped a wine glass in his hand. "They are still out there."

"We know this, Sire. Vincent is an elusive creature, one of habit. In this day and age knowledge doesn't always equal power."

"Silence."

"But Sire."

Ben leaped from the chair and pinned the servant to the wall, the knife glittered in the low light poised against the smooth throat of his victim. "Defy me again and your life will end here."

"Understood, Sire." He swallowed against the blade.

"Now, leave me."

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He sighed as he took a few more pictures of the sunset beyond the pyramids before capping the lens on his camera. The weather was reasonably moderate as the small tour ferry came to a slow halt against the docks. His mind kept flashing back to Temperance the night before, her fingers tracing the condensation on the glass, the way she suckled on the ice. The most interesting feature on her had to be her eyes, the shifting colors, the pulsing waves. She was amazing and Seeley found it hard to think of anything else.

He waved down a cab to go back to the hotel and wondered what she was doing before his train of thought was broken by his cell phone.

"Hello."

"Hi daddy!"

"Hey buddy." He smiled as his sons voice filtered through the receiver. "Miss me?"

"Always dad. Mom said you'd be coming home soon." Parker's excitement thrilled him. "Are you bringing back pictures?"

"Yes, I am. Lots of pictures of pyramids, sunsets, and I'll make sure to bring some souvenirs as well."

"Are we still going camping when you get back from vacation?" Seeley heard him ask timidly.

"Yup, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"_Parker, you need to get off the phone before you're late for school."_

Rebecca's voice sounded in the background.

"I gotta go dad, I love you."

"I love you to, sport." He was met with a dial tone before he hit the end button and found that the cab had stopped. Handing the driver some money, he eased his way into the hotel and onto the elevator.

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She set the heavy hardback on the coffee table next to a set of her journals before heading to the mini fridge to pull out a bottle of water. The day had stretched on considerably longer that she would have liked, but with the help of Zach things had managed to get finished rather quickly. Looking at the thick text in front of her, she picked it up and turned to the first chapter and began to read. Gil was very knowledgeable on the subject and she found his approach refreshing and simplistic. It was nice to read a piece that got straight to the point instead of beating around the bush. His writing style, however, seemed familiar and she had to wonder and the similarities in the flow and objectivity.

With a sigh, she removed the book jacket and stuck it between the pages before heading to the phone to contact room service when there was a knock at the door. Looking through the peep hole, she saw the object of her distraction and opened the door.

"Dinner?" He asked while presenting her with a rose. The rich red hue catching her gaze and holding it, deep crimson, almost the color of blood.

Her eyes connected with his, nostrils flaring to take in his scent, as she took the rose from his grasp and set it on the table next to the door. Temperance still didn't believe what was happening, it was as if history was repeating itself. Liam had handed her a rose before they shared their first kiss out on the terrace in the company of starlight. His face had been wrapped in the moons glow, the ivory haze highlighting his features. Her mind reeled as she felt her body react in that simplistic way.

His hand extended and she placed hers in it. The reaction was instant and irreversible as she pulled him inside, shut the door, and pushed him against it. Temperance watched his hazel eyes widen in surprise before she connected his lips with hers. He tasted so good and she couldn't get enough. His lips were soft and warm, smooth, and wonderfully familiar.

The smooth length of his tongue wrapped around hers and she groaned into his mouth. This had confirmed everything she'd never wanted to believe in. In this single, solitary moment, Temperance realized that Seeley Booth was Liam Forsythe. Vincent had predicted the existence of soul recognition and the man before her had proved its existence. Pulling back, she kept her eyes closed to hide the colors she knew were in her eyes. The blood red rimed with gold, the eyes of hunger in a half-breed. She pressed her forehead against his shoulder and willed herself to calm.

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She had shocked him in more ways than one. If he'd known that a single rose would get this reaction out of her, he would've given her one days ago. Seeley wasn't often overwhelmed, but when Temperance's lips met his he found himself consumed by a spark that lit a fire in his very soul. She tasted like hot honey and sugar cane with a splash of mint. The silky heat of her tongue burning his as he fought her for dominance. He groaned low in his throat, trying to get closer to her, as close as possible.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, scraping his scalp, and he thought he'd pass out from all the blood rushing from his brain to his groin. But then the kiss was over, all too soon, and he felt cheated and tried to reconnect their lips only to be denied that sweet taste as she rested her head upon his shoulder gasping needed air. Seeley found that he, too, was out of breath and he banged the back of his head against the door trying to will his body to relax.

"Temperance...what?" He asked confused.

"Forgive me." She replied softly and he eased her gaze up to meet his, the deep silver depths startling him with their purity.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Seeley sighed and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You just surprised me, pleasurably."

Temperance nodded before backing away from him and he raised an eyebrow in question to her retreat.

"I need to change if we are still going to dinner." She explained.

"Okay." He moved towards the couch and sat down. "Take your time."

Seeley watched her walk towards the adjoining room before he faced the blank screen of the TV set. His mind still spinning in circles around her kiss, the soft wet heat of her mouth, and the ever-present nagging in his groin. It seemed to carry a small sense of deja-vu and he scratched his head in confusion. Why did this feel so familiar to him?

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She looked in the mirror at herself and she was glad her eyes were not reflecting the deep need that was currently rushing through her body. Temperance found herself wondering what to wear besides the track pants and sweatshirt she was currently adorned in. Sighing softly, she lifted the shirt up over her head to replace it with a navy top deciding to keep the track pants since he was dressed casually and she didn't want to keep him waiting. Looking to the mini fridge in the corner of the room, she considered having a quick sip to keep herself level but there was no time.

Running a brush through her tangled hair, she made it back into the living room to see him sitting watching a sports program. "I'm ready now."

"Great." He turned the TV off and turned to face her, a broad smile crossing his features. She returned his smile with one of her own as they eased their way through the door and down to the lobby.

"Where would you like to go? I'm pretty sure you'd like a change of scenery."

"There's a lovely restaurant in the middle of the city, would you like to try it?" Temperance asked questionably and with a bit of hesitation.

"Of course." He answered as he waved down a cab.

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"She's becoming closer to the human, Sire. When would you like me to act?" The servant's crackled voice filtered through the pay phone as he watched the couple get into the cab.

"_I have been monitoring the situation here, I have learned Lady Heather is back in the area and James is in connection with her. Several sources confirm that she is sent from the society and soon I will have the new object of her affections." _Ben's chuckle sounded through the phone. _"When I have apprehended Brass, you will receive a call to capture the male." _

"As per your request, wise one. It shall be done."

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Beautiful tapestries lined the walls, lovely pottery adorned the shelves, souvenirs were placed around the lobby in a sequential order. Seeley was taken aback when they were led to the dining area with the wonderful crimson table cloths, smooth dark-wood furniture, and a long menu to die for. He suddenly felt out of place for the occasion.

"I feel under-dressed."

"It's fine, Seeley." She chuckled at his raised eyebrow. "Elegant dining doesn't start until six p.m."

"Oh." He cracked a small smile. "So what's good here?"

"I recommend the seafood dishes, they are very well prepared."

"Mmm."

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the waiter asking for their drink order and if they were ready to decide. Temperance decided to order for them both with little protest from Seeley. He simply smiled stated that she had been here before and he trusted her judgment. A comfortable silence fell between them and he smiled as she handed off the menu's before turning back to face him.

Light piano music filled the air and Temperance closed her eyes; he watched her expression shift as she took in each note. While watching her, he felt himself being taken back to another place in time; the woman in front of him dressed in a sky-blue evening gown playing a piano while he sat in a lounge chair. Her eyes were closed as her hands danced on the ivory keys, her hair gently accented by the candles around the room.

Seeley felt awestruck by the woman in front of him, it was as if her book _Eternal Soul_ was coming to life before his very eyes. Temperance was the centerpiece of the moment; a beautiful, perfect painting etched before him in the low lighting of the dining hall while she listened to the piano player in the background, her fingers itching to play.

As the notes tapered off from their loud crescendo, her eyes opened to reveal an almost diamond-like reflection. The foggy haze replaced with a deep translucent hue so pure it made his breath catch in his throat. His food, partly finished, lay forgotten on the table between them as her smile filled his senses. An earthy, heady, wild scent coated his nostrils and he breathed it in like it was a necessity.

"Are you alright, Seeley?" Her voice broke his thought process. "You look as if you've lost something."

Before he could put his foot in his mouth, he swallowed his words and gazed upon the goddess in front of him. "I'm fine. You just look as if you've played before."

"Once upon a time. I had an excellent teacher."

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Temperance wasn't prepared for the small piano concert suddenly taking place. The key strokes were perfectly timed and measured, obviously professional, and she closed her eyes in remembrance of her lessons long ago. Liam had been sitting in the small lounge chair in the grand hall dining room while Vincent stood beside her. She had written a small composition, the notes written on the pages settling on the music stand. Her fingertips brushed against the ivory keys to a beat only to be heard in her mind.

As she was lost in her world of music and passion, she did not notice when Vincent left the room and Liam stepped behind her.

XX

"_If angels existed on earth ye'd be one of them, love." His heavy accent thickened as he spoke, his hands caressing her shoulders. "Christian should be honored by such an accomplishment." _

_Sasha sighed and turned to face Liam, his eyes flashing gold in the candle light. "My father wishes I to be like the other females around this place. He believes that I am unfitting to find a husband of pureness. I wish I could make him understand." _

"_Then your father be a fool, lass. You are beauty personified with a lovely gift the lord seen fit t' bless ye with." He eased his callused fingers beneath her chin and raised her diamond gaze to his gold one. "I love ye and so should he." _

_Sasha smiled and looked down at the piano. "I wish mother remembered who I am." _

"_Aye." He hugged her and looked into her eyes. "I know." _

XX

As the song ended she looked over at Seeley to find him looking as if he were frozen in time; his gaze zoned out and his eyes at half-mast. He looked as if he were lost, separated from the current reality. She smiled then and paid the check before he could protest.

They walked the sidewalk for a little while, watching cars pass to and fro. "How long are you staying?"

The question caught her off guard and she recovered quickly, stopping him by his arm and looking into his eyes. "I leave in about two weeks."

"The same for me." He replied. "Small world."

"The world is quite big, the universe infinite." Temperance looked at him strangely.

"It's an expression, Tempe. It's a shortened form of 'what a coincidence, me too'." He explained.

"Oh."

Seeley extended his elbow and she looped her arm with his as he waved down a cab. Her mind flooded with thoughts that transferred to her entire body, lighting it up inside and out. "Where are you going when you leave here?"

"Back to New York to turn in my photos and then to drop off some souvenirs to my son." He smiled as he opened the door for her.

"You have a child?" Temperance was in shock with the sudden knowledge. Seeley have a child that wasn't a part of her. Suddenly she could feel her heart breaking into pieces. "Are you property of someone?"

"Married? No, recently divorced." He shrugged and she sighed, turning away from him. "She left me for another man and I can't even see my own kid without going through an argument first."

"I'm sorry that you can't even be granted rights to your own child." She turned to face him. "It's terrible, what this female decides to do to you. A child is a gift that should be shared."

"I agree, but we have to make do with what we are given. I'm lucky to be seeing him at all." He hung his head. "What about you, where are you headed when your little adventure is over?"

"Back to DC. I will be dropping off my results to the Museum I work for then head to my apartment and relax. I am going to start writing my next book." She shrugged as he paid the cabbie and they stepped out in front of the hotel.

"What is it going to be called?"

"_Obsession_."

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When he heard the book title roll of her tongue he thought he would faint. Was she trying to tell him something? Her gaze held him there and Seeley found that with those hazy pale blue eyes focused on him he could not think, let alone do anything else. He was surprised when they made it from the elevator to her door and as she turned the key in the lock and opened her apartment, he swore he saw her eyes flash blood red rimmed with gold.

Those expressive orbs settled on his form before she eased into his personal space, her heated breath bathing his face in honey and mint. He prayed to all that was holy that she'd kiss him so he could have another taste of that addicting sweet mouth. Someone up above must've been listening because she fastened her left hand in his hair and pulled his lips to hers.

With a groan they were pressed against the wall outside of her room, their tongues meeting and tangling, her nails scraping against his scalp, and he was powerless to stop his next actions. He rolled them around so he was pressing her against the wall and lifted her leg so he could grind between her thighs. Seeley felt like a horny teenager and he berated himself for his behavior. With a heavy moan, he released her and stepped back panting heavily.

"Good night, Temperance." His heavy breath flitted across her face as he pressed one last gentle kiss on her forehead before moving towards the elevator. He was sorely tempted to take her then and there right in the middle of the hallway and it unnerved him how much he wanted to act on that impulse. Banging his head on the wall of the elevator, he grimaced at how his erection pressed against the fly of his jeans; rubbing unhappily and causing him pain. He desperately wanted to finish what he started but knew it was still too early to do so.


	6. Five

AN: C'mon people, where's the love? Only 5 reviews! I see people reading...

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Five

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Temperance tossed her shoes aside and settled on the bed, her mind still muddled with thoughts. He had been with another female, became married, and had a child. How could this be Liam Forsythe when he didn't remember anything? But the connection was there, she felt it, smelt it, tasted it, and it was driving her insane.

Groaning, she fell back onto the mattress and ran her fingertips through her hair, pulling at the strands. She had two weeks to decide what to do before she went back to DC, two weeks to figure out if she wanted to take the risk and love the man who had become her destiny within these few short days. Vincent's words teased her again in the back of her mind.

XX

"_I have every faith in my theory, Sasha." He smiled at her, his graying hair awash in the candle light. "Just because you think it's impossible, doesn't mean it is. We, as a species, have proved the possibilities of several things. Why would this be any different?"_

"_It's just a theory, Vincent. Soul recognition just can't be possible." She shut the book heavily and gazed into the silver eyes of her mentor. "Liam will die and so will Vivian. It is inevitable, and yet you give up looking for a cure where I cannot." _

"_I haven't given up, Sasha. I just came to terms with what Al has told me. He is the best physician we have and the genetic makeup both Liam and Vivan were given is a rarity amongst halfbreeds. As humans they cannot expect to live the lengthy life we do, but now with their cells eating each other it is a pain I would wish on no one. If there was something to be done, I would do it in a heartbeat." Vincent explained. _

"_I just wish it didn't have to end this way." A tear trailed down her cheek. "To lose two of the most important people in my life." _

"_Is to lose a part of yourself that you can never get back." _

XX

"We have captured the male you have been after, Master. He is in the dungeon awaiting your punishments." A servant bowed before Ben as he took the last few sips from his glass.

"Excellent." He replied. "Make the appropriate accommodations for our guest in the surgical room, I will be down shortly. Call that contact in Cairo, tell him to lay low and keep watching Sasha. The next step will be soon."

"Of course, sire."

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Temperance found she was addicted to him all over again: the feel of his hair, the smell of his skin, the taste of his lips. She was so focused on him that work was a thing of the past. When he'd asked about her new book the title just came to her out of thin air when she looked into his hazel eyes. Seeley was her _obsession_. Life had seemed cruel to her up until this moment and she wanted to embrace this new found intensity with open arms.

Sighing, she sipped slowly on the blood inside the bag, her fangs aching with the intensity of her need. Suddenly the taste wasn't enough to sate her, the feel of the liquid caressing her ivory incisors insufficient.

With a sigh, she wiped her face off with a napkin and eased the blood bag into the trash. _The Profound Nature of Anthropology_ stared her in the face sitting on the bed and she picked it up to start reading it when something caught her eye.

Gil Grissom looked exactly like Vincent in every way. Those silver-blue eyes staring back at her, the conscious smile, the warmth. Without a doubt Vincent Rhodock III lived under the guise of world renowned Entomologist Dr. Gilbert Grissom and she'd never seen a photo until now. The only thing that had changed about her mentor was his hair. He had became a high ranking vampire after he had reached one hundred. He must be pushing the two-fifty mark now.

Placing the jacket back into the pages and shutting the book, Temperance turned to her own book that rested on the shelf of the dresser. Would this be their fate? Never speaking to each other even though they existed in the same universe now? It had been over a hundred years since she'd last spoken to her mentor. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been so utterly lost. It was after Vivian's funeral right before his exile.

XX

"_We are gathered here to celebrate the life of Vivian Ross. A wonderful woman with a kind heart and warm soul. The society took her in when she was but a child and raised her to the fitting young woman she had been before her death. I loved her as if she were my own daughter. You will be missed, our child." Edgar's words filled the room around them, the grand hall filled to the brim as she took a seat at the piano. Vivian had wanted her to play the piece she'd written and Sasha was more than happy to oblige. _

"_Vivian wanted me to play my _Midnight Harmony_ and I am pleased to do so." She spoke before putting her fingers to the keys and playing the soft melody, the notes filling the space and echoing in the emptiness that seemed to filter through everyone. As the song came to its final crescendo before tapering off to a few soft high notes, roses were placed on the casket along with the sheet music she'd memorized. _

_Vincent stood in the back, tears trailing down his cheeks. He spoke after she approached him. "Why is this happening?"_

_He spoke as if the last few months never happened. Edgar warned that this might be his fate. The traumatic event causing him to forget everything that transpired. Sasha felt pain for him, a deep seated sympathy having gone through the same thing herself. However, as much as she wanted to answer him she found that she couldn't. _

_As the service ended and all of them cleared out, she watched Jonathan Rice and Lady Marie comfort their friend and Sasha suddenly felt out of place. Her father hadn't even attended the service and her had long since past. Without Liam, and now Vincent, she felt utterly alone. He hadn't even come to say goodbye. _

XX

Wiping away the last of her tears with her fingertips, her quiet memory session was interrupted by a knock at the door. Rising off the bed, she moved to the front room to look through the peephole to see a bell boy standing outside her door.

"Delivery for Dr. Brennan form Asten BB."

Temperance opened the door and signed for the box before tipping the young man and closing it again. She was happy when she came to the states to meet a man named Jack Hodgins and learn of his origin as a halfbreed as well. He lived with his wife Angela in a mansion towards the east. He owned his own blood bank and offered her his services. He had taken a human wife and Angela clung to him out of love and her own insatiable apatite. They had been bled for fifty years.

Opening the box, she put the fresh supply of blood in her mini fridge and disposed of the box. As a halfbreed, she hated not being able to go without blood like a pureblood could. Purebloods can survive off of animal blood and rare meats when the opposite sex could not be available...but halfbreeds could have nothing less than either a pureblood or a humans blood. Usually she fed once every three days, but this trip and the hunger consuming her had upped her intake in random intervals. Cursing, she went to the bathroom for a quick shower before getting back to work.

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Ben watched James squirm as he burned his feet with the pokers he'd heated. The puckered flesh turning red instantly under the scorching heat. A bucket of ice cold water later and the retired cop was shivering against the concrete floor in his torn clothes.

"Are you ready to talk now?"

"Fuck you, Conrad." He spat, blood dripping from his lips and onto the floor mixing with the water. "You can kiss my ass."

"Oh, I was hoping you'd talk." Ben walked forward and grabbed his hair, pulling his neck back. "Because now you get to take part in a little game. Don't worry, the pain will end when I have all my answers."

James spat in his face only to be backhanded into the wall, his eye swelling worse than it had been. "Mind your tongue, Brass or I'll cut it out."

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Seeley smiled as he payed for his purchases and hailed a cab back to the hotel. He'd promised Parker that he would bring back a few things from his trip and he was going to make good on that promise. Lunch was a quiet affair and he missed Temperance's company while he ate in silence. Before he'd left he dropped by her room to see if she was interested in grabbing a bite but she shook her head and pointed to the books and folders lying across her coffee table.

Something had shifted between them since their kiss the night before and he couldn't fathom what. She seemed apprehensive to be around him, anxious even and he swore he saw her eyes shift to those unexplainable heated colors. Against all reason he found himself responding to it and he had came to a gasping release in the shower with the cold water beating down upon his body. Even now, as he rode the elevator up to his floor, he was hard as a diamond for her and only her.

Sighing in defeat, he eased himself down on the couch in his room and set the bag of trinkets on the table in front of him. Seeley found he was becoming addicted to her: the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, the softness of her skin. He felt like a starving man and she was his guilty pleasure. His skin heated with the thought of what it would be like to make love to her, give her pleasure. What noises would she make when she came alive, God he wanted to find out.

Giving in to his hunger, he unzipped his pants and palmed himself, rubbing the tip of his cock with his thumb and spreading the dewy liquid around before pumping himself into his grip. His heavy erection kicked in his grip as he groaned and thrust upward meeting every single stroke and wishing that it was her tight, wet heat he was diving into. He came with a force he didn't quite understand as his belly and chest became coated with his thick essence. Sated for the moment, he grabbed the shirt he'd tossed to the side and wiped up the mess he'd made of himself before there was a knock on his door.

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She found that she couldn't hide from him anymore, not with all the looks he'd given her. His scent still filled her nose; his taste her mouth, and she gave up fighting for control. Now she stood outside his door trying to find out what she should do before finally deciding to knock. Temperance had finally made up her mind to reconnect with the soul hers had chosen and even though it seemed irrational and indescribably foolish, she knew she wouldn't fight it any longer.

The only question that resided in her mind now was how she was going to tell him about her true nature. Sure, she was technically half human and half vampire. A genetic fusion of her mother and father, able to to walk outside during the day. Though the hunger still lurked below the surface, not only for his body, but for his blood. Her body was on edge as she finally heard the locks disengage and the door nob turn over before he stood before her, shirtless, and her eyes focused on the fast beating of his jugular.

"Temperance?" His voice was surprised yet strained. "Are you alright?"

Unable to speak, she just nodded and walked into his room before he shut the door behind them. "Yes, I just wanted to know if you'd like to do something tonight. I feel bad for not doing anything with you these past few days."

"I understand that you're not here on vacation, Tempe. I just like spending time with you." She turned to him as he came out of his room, pulling a black T-shirt over his head. Her body tingled wishing to rip the offending object covering his toned form from her gaze.

Fire coursed through her veins at the thought of him above her, in her, teasing her and she bit back a low growl. Earlier she'd eased herself in the bathtub, her fingers between her thighs swirling around her clit as she came with a keening wail with his name on her lips. Shuddering, she watched as he sat beside her and leaned forward.

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, really." She shrugged hesitantly. "I'm not usually so impulsive."

"It's okay. You can stay here if you want and we can watch some TV." He replied with a smile.

It sounded perfect to her and she leaned against him, her head on his shoulder, as he clicked the TV on with the remote and eased onto his back, pulling her atop him so they could both watch it together.

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Ben tossed the tools onto the bloodied table before walking out of the room. James still wasn't talking and he watched the man get dragged back into the room he'd set up for him. Moving towards his phone, he spoke to his contact in Cairo and told him the next time he saw Sasha's companion exit the hotel to grab him and hold him.

Looking at the map before him, he grumbled at his inaccuracies in predicting where the other members of the society might be. He was losing his patience, as well as his sanity since the blood supply was wearing thin and the remainder of the blood packers were few and far between. It would only be a matter of time before the madness engulfed him completely.

He needed more time to unlock the secrets of the blood and make it so its fountain of youth type properties were the only things being ingested. Ben had run test after test, always coming up unsuccessful and it was wearing on his nerves. Something had to give, and soon.


	7. Six

Aninom: In answer to your questions:  
1) This installment takes place from the middle of FH (just before Jim's capture) to the end and beyond. Ben did die in FH, yes.

2) Vivian (Sara) and Liam (Seeley) Shared the same rare birth defect called Halfbreed Humanism where at twenty, the normal age for vampire transition, the body rejects the change and the cells begin to break down.

3) Vincent (Gil), Vivian (Sara) are mentioned throughout the story and Sasha (Temperance), and Liam (Seeley) will meet up again, I have it planned out but I am not giving away details.

4) At Vivian's funeral Sasha (Temperance) played one of her favorite pieces that she had written. Vincent (Gil) was exiled soon after because he did not take a mate.

5) Jonathan is an OC I created to be with Lady Marie (Lady Heather) and they had a daughter together. Both Jonny and their daughter were murdered by the blood packers.

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Six

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Seeley had been startled awake by the blaring of commercials on the TV and rolled off the couch into the floor, his head hitting the coffee table on the way down. Touching his fingertips to his forehead, he pulled back and saw red tinting them. He'd sliced himself on the corner of the table and now he had a headache. Sighing, he hauled himself to his feet and tried to move to the bathroom when he was stopped by Temperance. During the whole shock factor he had forgotten she was in his room.

"You're bleeding." She stated and he chuckled.

"I know, I got into a fight with the coffee table and it won."

Her laughter filled the room as she pushed him to the couch and turned on the lamp next to it. "Hold still and let me see."

He sat patiently watching as she inspected his head injury and then without so much as a 'by your leave' she leaned forward and licked along the gash startling him out of his wits and arousing him at the same time. _What the fuck?_

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She was caught between sleep and wakefulness when she heard a loud crash. Her mind and body became alert instantly as she looked around for Seeley only to find him sprawled out on his belly on the floor between the couch and the coffee table. Temperance was instantly on edge, watching him as he lifted himself up off the floor and started for the bathroom.

Instantly her eyes locked on the cut on his forehead, the slice bleeding into his eyebrow. The crimson trail called to her like an old friend and she gently shoved him to the couch and turned on the lamp. Her body moved without her permission as she sat in his lap and looked at the laceration that started just inside his hairline and trailed down towards the middle of his forehead on the left side.

As if in slow motion, unable to stop herself, she leaned in and licked the gash with her tongue. His exquisite flavor hit her taste buds and she couldn't stop the growl that escaped her lips this time if she tried. Temperance wanted more and she leaned in for a second taste, cleaning the rest of the blood from his forehead, eyebrow, and hairline before backing away and sitting on the coffee table behind her. She knew she'd just let the cat out of the bag with her actions, but there was only so much she could take and this had been her limit.

His eyes widened and he backed up into the couch almost knocking it over and she knew, by the way he was looking into her eyes what color they must be. It was confirmed when he let out a gasping whisper of shock and panic. "What are you?"

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He couldn't believe what was happening. One moment he was going to get bandages out of the bathroom and tend to his head, the next this goddess of a woman was sitting in his lap lapping up his blood like it's her next meal. The eyes he thought he'd imagined were lushly colored in the lamp light as she licked her lips, his blood disappearing with that pink tongue. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"What are you?"

Seeley watched as her expression fell from contentment to pained before covering her eyes and sighing. "I've scared you."

"No shit." He spoke whist rising from the couch and standing behind it. "What the fuck are you?"

"Something more and less than human." Those blood red eyes rimmed with gold met his. "I am exactly what you think I am."

"What am I thinking then, Temperance? You licked the blood off my forehead!"

"I'm aware of what I did, your gash is sealed."

His eyes widened as he felt for the slice that had just been there, only to find it gone. "What the hell?"

"Please sit and let me explain."

"I'd rather stand."

Seeley watched her eyes narrow before she responded. "Very well, but you might want to sit when I start telling you everything."

He moved in front of the couch and sat awaiting her explanation when his mind screamed at him to run. Why he wasn't, he still didn't know but she didn't throw off any vibes to cause him to be afraid.

"My name is Sasha Van Martin and I was born to a wealthy society in London, England in the year eighteen twenty-one. My father was a pureblooded male Vampire named Christian Martin, my mother was a mortal named Mellisa Waldoss. I grew up in the society deemed a social outcast because of my origins when in eighteen fourty-one I fell in love with an Irish halfbreed human servant named Liam Forsythe." She pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"Open it." She replied to his query. As he unfolded the paper, a sketch appeared on the worn and creased parchment. The man in the photo looked exactly like him except from a different time.

"Is this...?"

"Yes, it is. I loved him with all my heart and soul but the condition that befalls halfbreed humans is a deadly one; a very skilled artist drew that picture for me. My best friend died of the same condition a month after Liam. And before your other questions I'm going to clarify a few things. I am not a full vampire, I am a halfbreed. However, we are not like the Hollywood stereotypes. We do drink blood, but from the opposite sex in our own species. We are not dead, undead or otherwise we are very much alive.

"Garlic seals wounds; silver, crosses, holy water are ineffective, and sunlight, while incapacitating, is not fatal. I, however, am not a full vampire so I can walk in the sunlight. My only flaw is I crave human blood since my mother was mortal."

Seeley looked at the sketch again after she quit speaking. Seeing himself on the page, an exact copy, sent him reeling. _Is this why I feel so drawn to her? Why _Eternal Soul_ seemed so familiar? Why all of this makes sense and doesn't scare the fucking shit out of me?_

"Sasha...?" He swallowed hard.

"I gave that name up with my old life, please just keep calling me Temperance." She answered. "I prefer it now. I am not the woman I once was all those years ago."

He nodded and swallowed again. "What do you want from me?"

"I want to love you, Seeley. I want to continue where we left off. However, if you wish to never see me again I will understand." She hung her head. "I understand what a shock this must be to you."

"You have no idea." He placed a hand to his head. "My mind tells me to run but my body won't cooperate."

Temperance leaned forward as he leaned back, that unnatural color still in her eyes as she focused on him. That gold ring around the rim of her irises pulsating. "You have nothing to fear from me."

His breathing hitched. "Why do I feel like this?"

"Because your soul recognizes mine. My mentor told me about it but I never believed him, until now. This is the same hunger I felt all those years ago and now I feel it again." She placed his hand on her heart, her head arching back and her fangs punching out of their housings. The sight of her like that caused him to harden instantly. Her hunger called out to his and he groaned as she let out a cobra like his, he felt her heart beat in an incredible rhythm against his palm.

"I know that you can't mark me but I don't care. I want to be yours."

"Mark you?"

"Vampire males mark their mates during courtship before marriage." He felt her breathe in his scent. "Every male, human or vampire, carries a distinct scent. I've always loved yours, even if it is mixed with cologne. Even if it's light, others will know I am yours."

"And that wild fragrance?"

"My arousal." She sighed.

"I need some time to think about this...I mean I..."

"I know, which is why I am going to leave now." She let go of his hand.

"No! I don't want you to go...but I need to think."

"If I stay there will be no thinking taking place, Seeley. I will want to be with you intimately and that cannot happen while you are unsure." Temperance traced her fingertips down his face. "Come to me when you have decided, if I don't hear from you I'll understand and never bother you again."

With those words the door shut behind him and he was left in the room alone, sketch in hand, wondering what in the world he was going to do. He was in love with a halfbreed vampire and the fact aroused him to the point of pain and scared the shit out of him at the same time.

His fingers twined into his hair and tugged briefly before he shut off the TV and sat in silence. Seeley's mind was crowded with several different thoughts at once. If he stayed what would happen and if he decided to leave now what would he be giving up? He couldn't understand the intensity of the moment but he knew he needed to act.

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It had been extremely hard for her to walk away, but Temperance knew he needed to be alone with his thoughts in order to process every single thing she had told him. Being away from him was going to be difficult, especially since she knew how his body reacted to hers even with the realization of her true nature. He was slightly afraid, a little apprehensive, but mostly aroused. The question remained, however: would he fight it? Only time would tell.

To take her mind off the recent events, she opened a few folders and started working on the rest of the findings for the last few sets of remains. Holding up X-Rays and jotting down notes filled her time until dinner. Seeley was no where to be found when she checked his room and she hoped that where ever he decided to think, he was safe doing so.

Easing herself into the stool next to the bar, she ordered a light meal and a scotch. The blood she had ingested earlier made it so she was not very hungry but for appearances she ate like everyone else. A sense of intense danger washed over her and she dropped her fork into her plate of salad.

Her instincts usually right, she paid for her half-eaten meal and made her way out of the dining area and into the lobby. Her breath caught when she caught Seeley's scent, his blood, and an unidentified male. The male was human living off of the blood of a pureblood and instantly she put 2 and 2 together. The blood packers had been keeping an eye on her and she immediately saw red.

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Seeley finished his meal and decided to take in some of the sights to help clear his mind. He'd sat in a booth next to the window, looking out at the hustle and bustle on the streets while occasionally reading bits and pieces of _Eternal Soul_. While reading, he found that he wasn't as much afraid as he was confused. The whole situation seemed far-fetched, unreal, and completely coming out of left field.

With a groan, he tossed some money onto the table and moved outside to wave down a cab when he felt a pain shoot through the back of his skull and then nothingness consumed him.

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Rikland smiled as he quickly hit the male on the head and dragged him into the ally behind the restaurant towards his car. Once he had gotten the order to capture the object of Sasha's affections, he had been pleased. It had been such a very long time since he was able to use any of the torture equipment in his dungeon since Benjamin loved to do all of his own work. He was given permission to play as he'd seen fit. Maybe he would be able to get some answers for his master and be able to come out of his personal hell and back into the graces of the Las Vegas Blood Packers.

Shutting the trunk, he opened his door and started the car. Rickland licked his lips in anticipation, he had a warm and willing woman waiting for him at his mansion with a tall glass of pureblood. His night was complete; sex, blood, and torture sessions awaited him and his body hardened with the sinful thoughts.

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Ben looked around at the mess in front of him. More and more of his guards were falling out of their blood-binding. These useless henchmen were turning against him, trying to dethrone him. Only his loyalest servants could be trusted. Rikland had given him a call from Cairo with the first set of excellent news he'd been given all day. His reward had been free torture sessions until he asked for the male in question.

An entomology book rested on the table before him with the picture of his sworn enemy. Vincent had been a fool to think he was finally safe from his clutches and Ben had laughed at his new name. Gilbert Grissom. He wondered where he had come up with the name and chuckled low in his throat. Then again, his name was no better. A servant had brought him a set of papers with the information about one Conrad Ecklie who had perished in a war eons ago and no one would be none the wiser about the names origins.

Leaning back in his chair, he decided it was time to go check in with his place of work so that he wouldn't be missed. James would keep until he returned, he made sure his guards kept the man well fed and hydrated. Sure, he loved torture but he wanted his victims to be alive while he did it.


	8. Seven

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Seven

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She followed his scent carefully, the unidentified male continued to follow Seeley on foot, making it easy for her to track him. He was sloppy and hurried which played into her advantage. The male had stood across the street from the diner before making his move and her suspicions were confirmed when she found his copy of _Eternal Soul_ on the ground. A seething anger spread through her veins as she inhaled his fading scent still left on the hardback in her hands. Temperance growled low in her throat as she finally recognized the scent of the male who had abducted Seeley.

_Charles Rikland_. Benjamin's former right hand man and top torturer. She seethed as she picked up his scent in the back ally by the dumpster with a light trace of diesel fuel signaling he'd left hours ago. Apparently Ben was still hunting and he had chosen her love as his next target. Rushing down the street, following the stench, she let her instincts come back to the surface. Temperance needed to find Seeley, not just for her sanity, but for the sake of his child as well.

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He groaned as he came awake, his head filled with a pounding pain as his eyes tried to focus on the room around him. Seeley found only darkness and it rocked him to the core, thinking himself blind. A chill ran up his spine as bright florescent lights bathed the room in a white haze. Chained to the wall, shackles digging into his wrists, he met the green eyes of his captor.

The man before him stood tall, balanced with a thin body lined with tension. Seeley watched as he knelt in front of him, blood staining his teeth as he spread his lips in a disturbing grin. A long, bony finger jabbed him in the shoulder making him jerk backwards into the cool stone wall, his chains rattling in the empty room.

"So you're Sasha's plaything." His voice was husky, low, and gravely. He sounded as if he had a cold. "You do know what she is, don't you boy? A monster, a beast, a creature of foul origin. A two-hundred year old freak of nature."

Seeley spit at the mans feet only to be punched in the mouth. He felt his front teeth slice his lip and blood dribble down his chin. This man was looking for Temperance and apparently he was willing to kill to find her. He had a lot of time to think about what she was and he didn't believe her to be a freak, he was actually going back to the hotel to weigh the pro's and con's. Then meet up with her again and ask more questions. Now, sitting in this space with this disturbing man, he wondered if he'd ever get the chance. He also had his son to think about, Parker.

"Where is Vincent?"

"Vincent? What the hell are you talking about?" A stinging pain.

"Wrong answer, mortal." He laughed. "You are loyal to her, your mistake."

"Fuck you."

"Wrong answer." This time something jammed into his shoulder and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming out. A coppery taste filled his mouth as his teeth cut into the skin. "I'll let that sit a while and then we'll see if you'll be willing to talk."

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Temperance panted against the heat, wiping the sweat from her brow. She had been foolish to track him without at least a pack of blood with her to sate the hunger that burned just beneath the surface. The dehydration wasn't completely taken away by the water she had bought at one of the mini-marts along the way.

Her body still burned in waiting for completion and if Rikland had Seeley then she needed blood in order to save him. He wouldn't have to worry about making a choice thanks to her mother being mortal. She remembered the discussion she had with both Vincent and Al in the library. It was one of the most important conversations of her life.

XX

"_There's nothing wrong with you, Sasha." Al smiled as he eased his journal on the table. "Vincent just wanted to continue the conversation from earlier in private." _

"_So you want to explain in further detail about my blood?" She asked with a sigh before sitting in one of the many leather-backed chairs. _

"_Yes, my dear. You see, not very many half-breeds possess the abilities you do. They have the abilities to heal humans, but none of them were able to sustain them like a pureblood can. Until you." Al explained. "You see, you were born from a line of purebloods and Christian is a five-hundred year old master. You have developed the cure for the madness." _

"_I can cure Liam?"_

_His face fell. "I'm afraid even your blood would be harmful to him, Sasha. A halfbreed human can't be introduced to any form of Vampire influence. Their cells are already breaking down and his illness would be more incapacitating." _

"_You tell me this like it's a good thing and then let me down? Why would you do something like that?" Sasha cried out, tears trailing down her cheeks as she slammed her hands on the wooden bench in front of her, the wood breaking under the pressure. _

"_Sasha, calm down." Vincent pressed his hands into her shoulders. "I tried to tell you in the library."_

_She shrugged his hands off and turned to face him. "I won't give up." _

"_Sasha."_

"_No."_

"_Sasha! We're telling you this because when you meet him again he would be able to consume you without fear. He wouldn't be bound by the blood in your veins." He sighed. "I know you don't believe in what I do, but give into the possibility that it may happen. You could heal him from major injury without having to ask if he would chose to stay with you. He would be free." _

XX

A tear trailed down her cheek and she wiped it away. She perched herself atop one of the many buildings as the sun began to set, Rikland's scent dried up hours ago but she had heard some of the society members claim there was a mansion just past Cairo and she would find it, no matter what. Failure was not an option.

Jumping from the rooftop towards the ground, Temperance turned towards the sunset, her eyes adjusting quickly to the darkening sky. There was no way she Seeley would be a sacrifice to the blood packers, she wouldn't allow it.

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"_So you have him in your custody?" _Ben's voice echoed through the room. _"Good."_

"Yes, I have been trying to get information out of him, but he is loyal to the creatures." Rikland sighed. "I fear more drastic measures must be taken."

"_You are allowed to play, Rikland, that is all. I will be taking care of the bigger issues. You will keep him alive until I get there, do not let him ingest the blood I have supplied you with."_

"Of course." He grumbled. "I will let him live, for you."

"_Good, I have to get back to my home. I will call you when I am ready for the male to be transported." _

Rikland turned to the dungeon door after Ben hung up realizing he would have to remove the metal rods he inserted in the mans shoulders, pinning him to the wall. Treating the wounds would be difficult, but hopefully he would be able to keep him living in order to send him to the Master.

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Seeley groaned softly in the black room, the darkness consuming his vision left him blind. His shoulders ached where the bars pierced his flesh and kept him pinned to the damp stone wall behind him. His shirt was soaked in sweat and blood and he wished that this was all a dream.

Aching, he shifted his legs trying to ease the pressure. The moments jarred his shoulders, the pain unbearable, and he let out a growling hiss. Sweat coated his brow as he eased his feet out in front of him. As he finished adjusting himself he heard the heavy door open and the lights flickered on in an instant. His eyes burned with the sudden intrusion and he groaned softly as the man he began to hate knelt in front of him.

"It's a shame that the Master won't let me play with you anymore." He sighed with a chuckle. "I thought we were making progress. We were going to be good friends."

Seeley just stared at him, sweat trailing down his face and into his eye. The gash above his head seeping. His body jolted as the man grasped the poker still lodged in his arm and twisted. Eyes watering, Seeley bit his lip to keep from crying out as he slumped against the wall.

"Either kill me or release me."

"Those are my only options?" The man laughed. "I dare say, you aren't in the position to be making threats."

In one swift motion he pulled the poker out and Seeley couldn't stop the scream that rose from his throat carried by the air forced from his lungs. He coughed violently as the process was repeated with the other shoulder, blood dribbling down his chin. "Bastard."

"Don't worry, your usefulness has just begun."

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Temperance looked at the building in front of her and wondered how she was going to get in, find Seeley, and make it out unscathed. She knew Rikland had guards, lots of them that were under Ben's employ. She looked up at the structure and sighed. If she tried to scale the walls to the upper levels then she'd lose precious time and if she went through the front door she might not make it back out.

Then a sudden movement caught her eye and Temperance focused her gaze on it. One of the guards walked out of a side entrance and she smiled, there was her opening. Running across the lawn, keeping in line with the trees, she made her way behind the guard and snapped his neck before drinking him down. Dropping the tall man to the ground, she licked her lips before pressing her body up against the wall. Focusing on the sounds and scents, she was able to enter the building undetected and make it to the end of the hall before stopping.

Crouching down, she listened to the other inhabitants skitter across the floor and into other areas of the mansion. Thankfully she continued to go undetected as she picked up Rikland's scent that led to a heavy door near the kitchen. Looking to either side of the hall and confirming that it was clear for her to make a move, she opened the door quietly and then shut it behind her. Darkness engulfed her vision and she let her eyes adjust as she hugged the wall.

A familiar scent filled her nostrils causing her body to heat and her fangs to descend. Aching filled her groin and she chastised her body for becoming aroused in this situation. Following the scent, she was taken to the very end of the hall to a large metal door. Searching for traps and tripping the ones she found, Temperance was able to open the door and peer inside.

The vision that greeted her eyes made her boil over in rage. Gritting her teeth, a low growl swelled in her chest and she watched as Seeley's head snapped up. Cursing under her breath for startling him, she eased in the room and caressed his face with her fingertips.

"My God, what has that bastard done to you?"

"Temperance?" Came his choked gasp. "Why?"

"Don't talk, not yet. I need to get you out of here." She moved him and winced at the stickiness in his clothing. "God, I'm going to kill Rikland."

"The fucker...has a...name?" She shushed him again before moving them towards the door and out into the hallway. Temperance carried him as if he weighed next to nothing and they made it halfway out of the house before she heard clapping behind her.

"Sasha, Sasha, Sasha..." Came the cruel tease. "Oh how the mighty have fallen."

She placed Seeley gently on the floor and faced his captor. "I thought his righteousness would have disposed of you by now."

"Hardly." He grinned and it made her sick. "Prepare to die."

"Never."

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Seeley was taken aback by the battle in front of him. Temperance had a style and grace all her own and she used it efficiently against his captor. Rikland staggered from another blow to the back of the head as Temperance took him down to the floor and continued letting loose a barrage of heavy blows against him. They were facing him on the floor and he watched as she lifted her head and bared her fangs.

In that instant he thought that she'd drink him dry but she looked at the man beneath her with those focused red eyes and spoke. "You're not worth it." Before snapping Rikland's neck.

"Come on, Seeley." She lifted his limp body into her arms. "Time to get out of here."

No sooner had she spoken those words when they were well past the mansion and on the outskirts traveling along a dusty road before she stopped and settled him down on the ground. Puzzled he started to ask what was wrong before she turned to him and settled her lips upon his.

It was an exquisite feeling, a heated rush spreading through his battered body. Within a few moments something sinfully sweet hit his tongue, more luscious than anything he'd ever tasted in his life and he hardened instantaneously while his hips swiveled and rose up off the ground into the air. Suddenly he needed to breathe and he released her lips and opened his eyes to find a trail of red rolling down her chin. He realized then that he had been drinking her blood and Seeley's eyes widened as he started backing up before falling back against the ground.

"I'm trying to save you." He watched as the long slice on her tongue sealed itself closed.

"I don't want to be a Vampire." His body shook as he watched the gold rim around her red eyes pulsate. "I'm just getting used to the idea of being with you."

After he spoke he watched as Temperance leaned her head back and laughed, a throaty sound that made his cock twitch around in his battered jeans. Groaning at what she thought was so funny, he tried to ask but before he could she smiled and responded.

"That's just a myth." She shook her head, the multi-colored brown strands framing her face. "You have to be born a Vampire, you cannot become one. Vampires are a separate species of human and our origins are unknown, even to us. We just are, Seeley. There is a catch, however. If I were a pureblood I would have to present you with the choice. Would you wish to be bound to me forever so I could save your life and prevent the madness or would you wish to die here? Since I am a halfbreed I can save you with my blood and sustain you without causing you to go mad."

He cocked an eyebrow. "I have to drink from you?"

"Yes." Her face fell. "Your wounds are mortal, Seeley. I can save you, only if you drink from me."

"What would it do?"

"Heal you completely, increase your hunger, slow your aging, take away any pain you might feel." She responded.

"My hunger?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Your sex drive." Temperance responded bluntly, surprising him, her eyes flashing with the words. "Let me heal you."

With the expression on her face and the ivory of her fangs glittering in the moonlight he couldn't help but give in with a slow nod as her fangs pierced the skin of her wrist and brought it to his lips.


	9. Eight

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Eight

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Ben saw red, literally and figuratively, he saw red. Anger coursed through him as the guard sank to the ground below his feet, a pool of blood coating the floor in his wake as Ben stepped over the body. Vincent and his female companion had slipped in right under their noses and stole his link. James Brass was gone, Vincent's scent was untraceable, and again he was left in the dark.

He cursed into the empty room, wiping off his dagger, and paced. When he called Rikland, his call went to voice mail. A sense of dread clutched onto his heart and he felt it overtake him. Someone was hiding within his ranks, making things impossible for him, and he wished he could figure out the solution.

Time was running out, he felt death like a cold hand tickling at the back of his neck. The clammy sensation making him shiver as he tossed his jacket towards a chair and sat down. He hated it when everything worked against him instead of with him.

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She moaned when he sucked hard on the wounds she'd inflicted on herself. Temperance had been told once that feeding a male would be an erotic experience and it would be hard not to interrupt to sate the hunger coursing through her system. Her friend was right. Even though Seeley wasn't one of her kind it was still erotic how he pulled the blood from her veins and into his mouth, his tongue sweeping backwards and forth over the punctures.

Temperance found herself rubbing her legs together to ease the tension in her heated core, the wet friction squeezing the tiny nub of her clit and causing her to arch, demanding that he suck harder and begging him not to stop. However, he did stop because he needed to breathe and she realized if he hadn't she would be incapacitated. Watching the twin punctures heal, she looked into the dazed eyes of her companion and smiled lazily as she smelled his unique scent and witnessed the intensity of his arousal.

He was a magnificent male: broad shoulders, well defined, positively well proportioned, and a credit to his species. Easing back into the grass, she groaned and arched her hips as they swiveled up and out, her core hot and wet, ready for him. But she realized she couldn't take him out here, it wouldn't be right, so she waited for him to gain his bearings while she tried to cool herself down.

However, the sensation didn't last long as he locked her lips with his own and swept his tongue against her still extended fangs. Temperance moaned and pulled him into her, feeling the full hard length of his erection between her spread thighs, pushing at her covered core. She felt as he pulled back and thrust forward again just before releasing her lips and trailing them down to the juncture between her neck and shoulder.

Temperance ached for him and she hated to halt his movements, but she needed to get them back to the hotel and was thankful when she caught the sight of Rikland's car in her peripheral vision. Breaking his hold on her, hearing his panting wheeze and muttered 'no', she pulled back and stared into his honey colored eyes before speaking.

"Not here, Seeley. Wait."

"I wish I could. I want to stop, but I can't." He tried to settle back against her but she hauled him to his feet before he could overcome her senses.

"You will wait." She laughed as she shoved him towards the car. "And I will make it worth your while."

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He thought the car ride would cool him down but it didn't. Being so close to her, around her, smelling the haze of her arousal kept him ready. Seeley leaned across the seat in the beaten up Mercury and started tracing his fingers down her body and in between her legs pressing against her core. His mind completely blank as fire burned throughout his body, his cravings for her intensified by her gift of life.

Both his shoulders were completely healed along with the lacerations on his head and face. Temperance's grip on his hand kept it between her legs, the heat and moisture seeping through the thin fabric of her dress pants and coating his palm as she arched against him. Her quiet whimpers reached his ears and he groaned in response watching as she turned into an empty parking lot about a mile away from their hotel.

As soon as the car stopped he found himself out of control as he pounced, his lips locking and their teeth clinking together and one of her fangs punctured his tongue. Immediately pulling back because of the pain he found the fog in his mind momentarily clearing. Panting, he came to his senses and stared at the woman across from him, her eyes glowing in the darkness, her face illuminated by the ivory glow of the moon, the browns and honey colors in her hair highlighted by the light.

He wanted to do this, God he wanted to but he needed to think about it since he'd let her save him. What did this mean for his life, how would he explain to everyone else why he was never aging? Would he ever be able to see his son again? Her voice broke his thoughts and what she had to say surprised him.

"I understand your fears, Seeley. Even though I'm selfish for you to be with me, I would grant you your mortality to stay with your child." A tear trailed down her cheek. "I love you and could deny you nothing."

"How...?"

"You have my blood in you, Seeley. I can feel what you feel for a while. It will wear off, in time." She explained. "For the connection to remain you'd have to feed from me regularly."

"What do you mean?"

"It takes longer for a pureblood to fuse with a human, the connection is established permanently after a few feedings, but since my origins are a mix the bond forms quickly. If I were to feed from you, you would be able to feel me."

"God, just a few days ago I was a normal man falling in love with what I believed to be a normal, but extraordinary, woman." He tangled his fingers in his hair and groaned. "Now I'm in a whole new world trying not to drown."

"I wish I could ease you but you have to make the decision on your own." Seeley watched her shake her head in sorrow before opening the door. "It's late, we need to get back to the hotel."

"How old are you?"

"I am one hundred eighty-eight years old." Temperance sighed as they started walking down the street. "The transition starts at age twenty and ends at twenty-five. By thirty we are considered fledgelings and by one-hundred we are considered low-level masters. My father, Christain, was the oldest in the societies under Lords at five hundred twelve. Edgar was the oldest in the society at eight hundred sixty-two. Purebloods are distinguished by their white hair when they reach the one hundred year mark."

"Who's Vincent?" Seeley asked, remembering the name his captor had uttered.

"He was my mentor, my second father. He was ninety-eight when he left the society to be with my best friend. She had the same condition, and she died shortly after. He had just turned one hundred before he was exiled."

"Why me?"

"Rikland must've found me because of my book." She sighed. "I wasn't aware that my publicist finalized the book jacket with my picture on the back of it. Ben, the leader of the blood packers, must've found me. I had heard that Vincent had escaped him a long time ago while he was living in the outskirts of London."

"Ben? Blood packers?"

"They are an occult society bent on separating the properties of pureblood's blood so that they can stay young for a very long time."

The last question she answered fell flat as they reached the hotel and then boarded the elevator. His body still hummed with need but his mind remained clear, it had to or else he would have to deal with the harsh reality and there was so much more he needed to know.

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Hesitation and anxiety filtered off him in waves, the heady mix calming her frazzled nerves and keeping her grounded. Temperance used his emotions to keep a level head as they rode the elevator in the uncomfortable silence that blanketed them. She knew he would realize the risks involved and stop his advances no matter how much her blood influenced him.

Temperance walked out and heard him follow as they reached his floor. Knowing his keys were lost, she jimmied the door open with a flick of her wrist and they stepped inside into the privacy that the room provided them with. She wanted to reassure him, wanted to ease him, but there was still a lot she needed to explain to him. Seeley had a lot in life that he needed to consider, especially his child.

She waited for him while he disappeared into the bathroom and she tucked her knees underneath her while she leaned back into the plush cushions of the couch. Pain filtered through her body and she knew it was getting time for her to feed again. Temperance felt the energy she had spent saving her love had burned most of the blood she had ingested before leaving.

Hearing the water shut off, she swallowed hard and watched as he walked out of his room and into the living room. His feet were bare and a pair of plaid sweat pants hung low on his hips. Her mouth watered as the scent of clean soap and his underlying tang hit her nose. A low purr passed her parted lips and she couldn't control it.

"I know you have questions but I need to do something before I answer them." She rushed to the door, but before she could open it he pressed his open palm on it to keep it closed.

"I took too much, didn't I?" His heady breath filtered across her face.

"Yes, but I can't take from you. Not if you want me to answer your questions. If I feed from you I'll want to make love to you." Her eyes connected with his as she pressed her back into the door.

"I just have one last question for you." He licked his lips as his honey gaze met hers. "What would happen if I chose to be with you for as long as your blood lets me?"

"You would live for about as long as I will, never age, and if you wanted I could bring your son to this side when he becomes of age. It would be his choice." Temperance swallowed hard. "I am leaving it up to you."

Seeley's eyes darkened, his pupils dilated, and she could smell his arousal thickening in the air. She felt helpless pressed against his door, her body quaking in answer to his as her fangs descended once again. Before she had time to blink his mouth was on hers and their bodies were pressed tightly into the door, his tongue twisting around her fangs causing her to groan and lift her leg to wrap around his waist, pulling him in closer. He tasted of her blood, coffee, and clean mint. He smelled of his clean soap, cotton, and that heady light spice. His erection pressed firmly against her core as he growled lightly against her lips and she answered back, twining her tongue against his.

Hissing, she pulled back and licked her lips, heart pounding like a jackhammer. There was a mirror a few feet away from them on the back wall and she looked at the image they presented. Seeley pressed into her, the muscles in his back working as he continued to caress her body. Her fingers twined in his hair, and her eyes bright and pulsing to her heartbeat.

"Take me."

And that was all the encouragement she needed.

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The next few moments were a blur to him and he couldn't remember how they got from his front door to his bed but they had and he was now looking upon her ivory skin in the low lamp light. Her red satin bra a stark contrast against the lovely hue and he groaned as she pressed against him and trailed her fangs up the side of his neck.

While he was in the shower he finally allowed the initial shock to wear off with the hot water flooding over his body and into the drain. His instincts told him that everything would work out and he was not making a mistake if he decided to be with her. God, he wanted to be with her and he didn't want to deny himself this chance. When he'd asked about his son, the answer he received was the one to make his final decision and seal his soul to hers.

She leaned up from him and eased the straps off her shoulders before removing the red fabric to toss it to the side. Her nipples were a lush cherry red and pointed waiting to be suckled leading down to a firm waist and tapering off into her dress pants. Temperance was seated directly on his arousal and every time she eased down to kiss him he rocked up into her trying to ease the pressure. He groaned against her lips as their heated skin pressed against each other and he couldn't help but grip her ass in his palms and rock her more firmly against his groin.


	10. Nine

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Nine

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Temperance was awash in sensation, her senses filled with the man beneath her and she wouldn't have it any other way. He had rolled her beneath him, nipping and kissing his way down till his mouth pulled one of her neglected tips into its warmth and suckled gently before biting with his teeth. She keened and arched into him as he alternated between left and right while gripping her ass and grinding into her core.

All at once his lips returned to hers as he worked the button and zipper on her pants loose and pulled them down her long legs. She was hot, so hot that ice would cause steam to flare from her skin. He eased his fingers between them and pressed against her wet panties causing the fabric to stick to her swollen folds. Temperance grabbed onto his sweats and jerked only for him to hold onto them.

"Take them off." She whimpered, rocking into his leg.

"Not yet." He continued to stroke before pulling her panties down and off. "I won't be able to stop and I want to taste you."

"Please." She tried again.

"Let me..." Seeley groaned. "Need to."

He kissed down her body and she threaded her fingers in his hair, tugging gently as he spread her knees wide. Her head fell back into the pillows as he breathed gently on her core, the chill welcome to her heated flesh. His tongue then licked the seam of her sex and she swore her eyes went crossed.

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Seeley groaned as he sampled her skin, her taste causing him to lose his balance as he shed her underwear and started to make his way down her body to her center. He needed to taste her, needed to draw her down his throat. Her scent heady and thick, wild and utterly female. He felt her fingers thread into his hair and tug as he eased down, licking and nipping. He ringed his tongue around her nipples, teasing the peaks, before trailing down to her belly button and then spreading her thighs to gaze upon the wet, pink seam of her sex. Closing his eyes, he swallowed and let out a long moan as he enjoyed the first full taste of her. She tasted like nothing he'd ever known and it rocked him to the core.

Seeley loved it so much he had to ease in for a second taste while holding her gently as she bucked up against him. "Easy, baby."

"Don't stop, please."

He couldn't refuse her and he leaned back in, trailing his tongue around her clit, up one side and down the other, before thrusting inside and tasting the purity of her. Temperance whimpered and panted, growled and moaned. He ate up every bit of it before giving in and tickling the swollen nub with the tip of his tongue to witness her come apart underneath him. Seeley drank her down, greedily while her eyes turned solid gold and focused on him as he licked his lips.

This time, when she reached for his pants, he let her pull them from his hips and drop them to the floor. He gasped when Temperance grabbed his cock and rolled her thumb around the head, the leaky drizzle coating the heated skin.

"Oh God..." He panted as she pulled him closer and stroked up and down his heated length.

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Temperance hated the society so much in the single moment when he traced his tongue along her heated flesh, she'd never been so hot, so ready. In the society bled couples were not to observe the outside world, everything was strict and fully monitored. She was glad she left since this pleasure was available to her.

He tongued her from her opening to the underside of her clit, teased her lips, gathered her essence. His moans and growls stimulated her into a heady climax that caught her breath and shattered her nerves. Temperance was pleased when she reached for his pants once more and he did not stop her. Seeley's eyes connected with hers as he licked his lips, her juices sliding towards his chin as she grasped his thick erection. He was thick and wide, hot and hard dribbling at the tip.

She rubbed her thumb against the pink head of his cock, smoothing the ejaculate around, teasing the slit, before pumping him and watching his hips piston into her grip as he crawled up her body and fused his lips with hers. The taste of herself in his mouth made her ache as she continued to tease him. Her fangs nipped at his lips, trailed up his neck, and she finally released his arousal and let it slide between her folds.

Next time she wished to taste him, but now she wanted him inside her, wanted him to fill her up. Most of all, she wanted another taste of the red liquor flowing in his veins. Out of her mind with pleasure, his thick length still thrusting, the head still bumping her clit, she turned to the side and he pulled her face back.

"Look at me."

"I..." She tired to turn away from him again, willing her need to bite to the back of her mind.

"What's wrong?"

"I'll bite." She moaned. "I won't be able to help it."

"Then bite." He growled against her throat as he moved her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. "I want it."

"Seeley."

Temperance felt him enter her in one swift move, bottoming out and stretching her to the limit. Impulsively, and without thought, she sank her fangs into his neck and pulled the first swallow down her throat, snarling against his flesh as she continued to feed. Her fingernails dug into his ass as he started to pump into her, groaning and shaking. She locked her legs high on his hips, making him go deeper while she finally was able to release his neck and seal the twin punctures with her tongue.

A new connection was forged between them as she felt him throb between her thighs, flipping them so she was above him and he arched into her with a gasp. "Come for me."

She rode him, bouncing on his hips, the wet sounds echoing in the room, the squeaking of the mattress drowned out by their pleasured groans. With a few more thrusts she came apart above him digging her nails into his shoulders as she felt him come right after her again and again before they both collapsed together in a sweaty heap.

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He couldn't stop the groan that left his mouth as he entered her, the slick hot velvet caressing his length as he bottomed out inside her. Temperance tried to turn away from him and he wouldn't let her. He needed to see those golden orbs focused on him, and when she said she couldn't stop the urge to bite and he welcomed it. As her fangs entered his neck, it was the sweetest bliss he'd ever known. He felt double the pleasure as he was fused with not only his own hot need that pounded between his thighs followed by the pulsating hunger that thundered between hers.

Seeley felt himself sink deeper as she locked her legs higher on his hips. Rocking, grinding, swirling, aching, he rolled so she was atop him and continued a counter rhythm as she bounced atop him and was finally granted release as he came apart moments later. In all his life he'd never came as hard or long as he had in that moment and he was still hard and ready as they collapsed together. He swiveled his hips, trying to ease the pressure, as he rolled the onto their sides and continued the rhythm with equal time.

"Don't stop, don't...stop." He heard her pant against his neck, licking the lower shell of his ear with her tongue as he came apart again and again with her right behind him.

Finally sated for the moment and laying against the pillows, he shuddered as she purred against his throat. "I've never felt anything like that...I didn't even know I could."

"Mmm..." He felt her sigh. "Sleep."

"Hmmm..." Seeley kissed her forehead. "Love you."

"From the beginning of time till the end, my heart will always belong to you."

And finally sleep overcame them both.

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Gil was surprised when he was visited by this strange man and told that their worst enemy was no longer a threat. It was a totally out of left field and he wasn't expecting the intrusion just after they had saved Jim from the bowels of hell itself. Looking over at Sara, he was grateful for the end of their struggle and the new beginning that loomed just over the horizon.

He looked over at the woman who had captured his soul so long ago, Vivan Ross, now Sara Sidle smiled at him from across the room as she spoke to her adoptive father and his new love, Lady Heather. They had all been through so much and he hoped that wherever Sasha was that she had the same luck in finding Liam once more.

Gil had honestly thought her gone until he had discovered her new identity as Dr. Temperance Brennan and the way she told their story through her eyes made him weep. Every single moment written in time without telling the entire story including the secrets of their long forgotten society. _Eternal Soul_ rested on the shelf in his book case alongside his own set of journals.

When he had shown Sara his journals, she had been reading them off and on over the past few weeks and learning of her past life. Especially about her disease, her place in the society, and of course her best friend Sasha Martin.

Sara had also read _Eternal Soul_ and cried at the very end when everyone went their separate ways. Gil told her it was exactly how it happened right down to the very last detail. The small group of friends had lost hope.

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Sunlight streamed in the partly open curtains and caused Temperance to growl before tucking her head in between Seeley's neck and shoulder. The combined scents in the air made her purr, their sex coating the space around them like steam in a bathroom. Her body awakened, her fangs punched out into her mouth, and she groaned softly at the rush.

Underneath her, Seeley was sporting his morning erection and she felt him hard within her as they had never separated during sleep. His hips rolled in a circle underneath her, his hands on her hips as he came awake with a smile.

"Mmm..." He arched his back. "I can't believe I'm even ready for you after the workout last night."

"It's the blood." She replied factually as she rolled her hips in the opposite direction.

"Well then, you weren't kidding; were you baby?" He chuckled as her nose wrinkled at the endearment. "What?"

"Don't call me baby."

Seeley rolled them over so he could start an easy rhythm. "Why? You didn't complain last night?"

"You want to have this conversation now?" Temperance panted and trailed her fangs up his neck before he ducked down to take one of the pearly peaks of her breasts in his mouth, his tongue swirling around the taut flesh.

"Not really." He admitted after releasing her left nipple and focusing on her right. "Let's take care of this first."

Moaning as he picked up the pace, she had an idea and rolled them again before dislodging her. His expression of surprise was comical as she started to tease his body before taking his slick cock into the warmth of her mouth, tasting him for the first time.

His taste was an unusual combination of flavors and she smiled at the intensity of his natural flavor and the rush of power she felt as he arched into her mouth and panted for more. She licked him like her favorite ice cream, swirling her tongue around the head and then taking him down once more. A few more repetitions of that pattern and he was trying to pull her mouth away and she refused, drinking him down and finding herself craving that taste.

As she cleaned him off, she noticed he was still hard and Temperance laughed heatedly before settling back atop him, hard.

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxx

Seeley sighed as he recalled the rest of their morning escapade while he stood in the shower. He didn't expect her to give him head, didn't expect it at all. Her tongue did wicked things to his sanity and it held a new place on the list of things he adored about her. First and foremost being her eyes and their expressive colors. They changed like a mood ring and he found himself enslaved by them.

He rinsed off and turned off the water before wrapping a towel around his waist and stepping in front of the mirror. Temperance had left for work a while back and told him she'd be back in time for dinner. With hours to kill by himself, it seemed empty without her around until his phone rang.


	11. Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own BONES or CSI...

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Ten

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Temperance finished the last of the reports and helped Zach put the remains back in their designated containers before leaving the small lab. She'd promised Seeley she'd be back before dinner and if the traffic continued to be light, she'd make good on her promise. When he'd asked to be a part of her world, she couldn't have felt more elated than she did then and after she'd given him the right amount of her blood, their lovemaking had been earth-shattering.

Sighing at the memory, she waved down a cab and headed back to the hotel. She wanted tonight to be perfect. Order a little room service, and lounge around in their new found intimacy. As the cab came to a stop, she tossed some bills at the driver before exiting the vehicle and racing to the elevator. Finally happy, Temperance opened the door to his room to hear him on the phone with someone.

"I'm sorry, sport.

"Yes, I'm fine.

"Better than fine.

"I just lost my phone is all.

"Of course we're still going camping. I might be bringing someone with me too.

"Love you too, Parker. Be good at school."

As he hung up she walked up behind him and sighed. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all, I was wondering when you'd show up." Seeley turned to her with a smile and hugged her close. "I've missed you, you know?"

"Yes, I know. I've missed you, too. But work cannot be helped. I swear I did not plan this but I think everything I never believed in is coming together in this moment."

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow.

"My mentor was, and I still suspect is, a spiritual man. He believed in fate, soul recognition, and past lives." She sighed as they took a seat on the bed. "I've always been a rational person, looking at things objectively, forming hypothesis. Sure, Vincent loved science just as much as I do, but we held differences in our beliefs."

"I see." He trailed his fingertips along her cheek.

"When I met you on the ship it threw me, put me off balance, and I haven't felt that way in over a hundred years. I felt the same way as I did then and even though I didn't want to believe it, believe in something so irrational, it hit me like nothing I've ever known." Temperance sighed and intertwined her fingers with his. "I was totally taken over by your scent, your voice, and your touch. So many things have happened in my long life and I never thought I'd be able to find you again."

"Well, I'm here now." Seeley kissed her as they both fell back onto the mattress. "I want to ask you something."

"I know, I heard. I'm not sure if I should meet your child yet." She let her gaze fall to her lap. "I'm not sure where I fit in right now. I know I sound cruel right now, but I didn't expect you to have a child."

"I'm not going to apologize for Parker. I love him, he's my son." He lifted her gaze to his. "I don't want to choose between the two of you."

"I'm not asking you to apologize or choose. That would be selfish and irrational. I just need to get used to the idea of sharing you with your world and mine." She took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "The differences are so extreme and the humans that do know about us are either property of others or members of the blood packers."

"I translated property of someone correctly right? Meaning marriage?" He asked.

"Yes. It's a ritual preformed in the old customs, blood is thicker than water and it's said that when blood is mixed a connection forms." She shrugged. "I never really believed in that either."

"I see." Then he thought of something. "Are you on anything?"

Temperance looked at him, puzzled for a moment before what he said clicked. "Oh, no. I'm not fertile and it's very rare for humans and vampires to conceive. My mother struggled through her pregnancy with me and she and my father were never able to have a second child."

"Oh." His face fell.

"I know. You spoke of children fondly even though we couldn't have them." She shook her head. "I admit that if I could you were the one I wanted to have them with. Truthfully I couldn't stand the thought of having a child with the cruelties throughout the world."

"But I changed your mind?" He gave a half smile.

"Yes. Your kindness, your love, your ability to ease my worries." Temperance shrugged before connecting her gaze with his once more.

"You're going to be a part of my life, Temperance. I don't know what this is, but I do know that we won't be apart if either of us can help it. I want you to meet my son."

"Seeley..." He pressed his fingertips to her lips, silencing her.

"No. You say you don't know your place. Well I'm telling you, it's with me." Seeley squeezed her hand in his unoccupied one. "So come camping with us."

Giving in, she nodded once before their lips connected in a bruising kiss, tongues dueling, teeth clashing. It always felt like heaven and she couldn't get enough. His tongue released hers and trailed along the housings of her fangs and she hissed before they extended, piercing his tongue in the process which she sucked on greedily.

They rolled around, clothes coming off every which way until they were both naked and writing together. Completely and totally feverish, there was no time for anything else as she pulled him into her, taking him all the way to the hilt as they fulfilled their baser urges. After the first few orgasms, she felt him taper off into a slow rhythm, his hips circling around before thrusting back into her.

Temperance dragged her fangs up his neck, licking and suckling on the small cuts she produced, sealing them with her tongue before making fresh trails. He churned above her, completely on edge just before she bit him.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxx

He couldn't remember when he passed out but it had seemed so long ago. To confirm his suspicions, he looked over at the clock to see that two hours had passed. Sighing, Seeley looked over at the woman beside him, her lovely hair strewn across the pillow like a halo as she laid on her belly her face turned towards him.

As he looked at her, tracing her delicate features with his eyes, he felt himself begin to harden again and he wondered where he got the strength to do so. Putting his arm over his head, Seeley tried to will himself to relax only to be greeted by his next fantasy.

Groaning, he looked at Temperance once more and leaned closer to her, trailing his tongue along her neck and smelling the sweet wild fragrance of her arousal as she moaned and opened her eyes. Those golden orbs taunted him as she raised up to her knees and turned her back to face him.

As she turned her gaze upon him, giving him an open invitation with her smile, he rose to his knees behind her and traced her swollen depths with his fingers, feeling her readiness and groaning as his cock twitched in answer. Her warm palm clasped him gently and guided him into her silken core and he couldn't stop the tornado of pleasure that thundered against him.

Panting hard, he thrust into her again and again pulling her body against his and squeezing her breasts. Temperance turned her head to kiss him, shoving her tongue inside of his mouth, growling out her pleasure for him to swallow. Her fingernails dug into his scalp as he continued the same rhythm, like a metronome on the top of a piano keeping time.

His orgasm hit him out of nowhere and he was surprised when he only came once this time before collapsing atop her, feeling the aftershocks against his softening erection. He rolled them to the side and moaned as he slipped out of her.

"You're burning out on me, love." She laughed throatily. "I'll have to give you another dose soon."

His mind wandered around before connecting the dots and he stayed quiet thinking about if he wanted another dose of what was in her veins. Seeley knew if he didn't he wouldn't be able to keep up with her and he knew if he did people were going to notice how he never changed.

"Seeley?" Her voice broke into his thoughts. "I'm sorry. It is your choice and I won't force you."

"I'm just thinking, Tempe. That's all. I'm still not sure about how I'm going to deal with the not aging and my son." He rolled over to face her, brushing a few brown sprigs of hair behind her ear. "I want to, you know I do, but what if Parker doesn't want this?"

"It would be his choice, just like yours. If he doesn't accept this life and you wish to stop then you will not have to continue the process." Her smile fell. "I've already told you, Seeley. I love you and can deny you nothing."

He lifted her chin and smiled. "I can't leave you alone, whatever Parker decides I'll support."

"Okay."

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxx

"What's the matter, Gil?" Jim asked as he looked at his son-in-law. He and his adoptive daughter Sara had been married for two weeks now.

"I believe one of my closest friends inside the society is still alive. I have no idea how to contact her, however, without alerting the blood packers."

"Ecklie's dead right?"

"Yes, he is...but I'm sure there are other factions out there that have their own leaders. Ben, or Ecklie as you call him, was the main leader of all the factions. The man who came here broke the curse Ben had on his followers only." Gil sighed as he picked up _Eternal Soul_ and turned it over. "This is Sasha Martin, she shared my love for science, art, and was best friends with Sara back in that time period."

"She's Temperance Brennan?" Jim's eyes went wide. "Holy shit. It's a small world."

"Tell me about it."


	12. Eleven

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or BONES.

AN: I know it has been a terribly long time since I've updated but there have been several complications while trying to focus on the plot. Don't expect QUICK updates. I'll update when I can.

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Eleven

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Light filtered through the curtains as his stomach growled. Seeley groaned against the intrusion and buried his face in the hair of his companion. She, in turn, rolled over to face him and buried her face between his neck and shoulder letting out a sleepy sigh.

"You're hungry."

"Way to state the obvious." He laughed as his stomach let out another howl. "I don't want to get up."

"Hmph. You need food." She stated.

"I need sleep." He countered.

"Would you like me instead?" Temperance asked hesitantly as she lifted from her perch and gazed into his eyes. The blue hue had returned during the night and the intense color still shocked him.

"I'd like that." Seeley eased up and leaned against the headboard pulling her with him. The tan of her skin shimmering in the low lighting.

He watched as her fangs punched out of the housings before she brought her wrist to her lips. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

It seemed to be the answer she was looking for because she bit into the skin and brought the twin punctures to his mouth for him to suckle on. Rich ambrosia hit his tongue again and he thought he'd come from the taste. She was sweeter than honey, richer than chocolate, and more exquisite than the best bottle of wine. A combination of flavors that he couldn't describe with all of the food or drink in the world; all he knew is that he couldn't get enough.

During the experience he felt her shift on top of him, gather him close, and sink down onto his straining cock as she made love to him slowly. It was erotic, it was sensational, it was so beautiful he almost cried. Seeley had met the woman he was destined to be with for a very long time. As he pulled back from the twin wounds, he watched them seal shut after a few moments and momentarily thought about Wolverine's healing factor before breaking out into breathless chuckles.

"What's funny?" The serious look on her face caused him to laugh harder.

"I just was thinking of how much you heal like Wolverine in the comics." He sputtered.

"I don't know what that means."

"I'll buy you some comic books, Tempe." Seeley eased them both back against the pillows he'd propped up. "Besides, it'll be good for you anyway because I'm sure Parker will want to quiz you on everything from the X-Men to Batman."

"Is the Batman a genetic fusion of some sort?" Temperance asked puzzled.

"No, he's a vigilante fighting crime in a black suit with a mask that resembles a bat's head."

"Oh."

XXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxx

Temperance hated the fact that she was called in on her day of rest and Seeley had coaxed her back into bed before she was able to pull away and arrive fifteen minutes late. Her mind was completely blank as she pushed the last drawer closed and picked up her notes. She also didn't have the heart to tell him that her job was being cut short and she had to return to DC in three days instead of a week and a half.

Being a top ranking Anthropologist was difficult at times, especially now when she wanted to stay in Cairo with the man that captured her heart. Waving down a cab, she continued to think about how she would tell Seeley about the shortening of her stay and if he would come with her; she'd gladly pay for his ticket of course.

Traffic seemed light for this time of day and Temperance found herself thankful for the small gift since the sooner she got back to her room and packed up her things, the better it would be. There had been so many things going on in the past few days that she hadn't the time to pack up her things and check out of her room to move into Seeley's.

Handing some money to the driver, she exited the vehicle and made her way inside to the elevator. Sighing, she watched the doors open before she walked out onto her floor and paused before the door of her room. Opening the door and stepping inside, she immediately went into the small bedroom, packed up her clothes, toiletries, and books before moving to the mini-fridge and putting the remaining bags of blood in a cooler.

Smiling at a job well done, Temperance took her bags and left the room. Reminding herself to drop by the front desk later on, she boarded the elevator once more to Seeley's floor and made her way to his room. Opening the room with his spare key, she pulled her bags in and shut the door behind her. Hearing the shower running gave her time to think as she sat on the plush couch in front of the TV.

XXXXXXxxxxxx

"You've been quiet lately, Gil." Sara sighed as she sat next to her husband at the dining table. "Something on your mind?"

"You remember reading _Eternal Soul_?" Gil asked out of the blue.

"Yes, I do. It was a beautiful book. Why do you ask?"

"The woman who wrote it is someone from my past in the society." He held up the book jacket and then a sketch of a woman who looked just like her.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Is she one of your kind?"

"Her father was a master Vampire, much older than I, and he took a human bride. This is their daughter, Sasha." Gil explained with a soft sigh. "She was a very good friend to us, a halfbreed Vampire in the society where I was born. We shared common interests in science and literature. You and the man she loved had the same rare condition."

He held up another sketch and Sara looked at both of them before picking up his journal and reading the words on the pages.

"_Sasha has become attached to young Liam just as I have to Vivian. Sometimes she looks at me in anger because she believes me to have given up hope on a cure. In my heart I know it is not true, but in my mind, surrounded by the facts I believe her anger to be well founded. Doctor Robbins tells me that there is no hope for either of them and I find the news hard to swallow._

"_Even though Sasha's blood has unique properties and can be used to heal humans without the madness consuming them, I find the harsh reality in the fact that Liam nor Vivian can be healed with her blood because of her Vampuric nature. _

"_I regret the decision to stop looking for a cure with every fiber of my being, but I fear if I do keep searching I will lose valuable time with my beloved. Being buried in books is not the answer and I pain to say that I can offer no comfort to Sasha, but I can admire her dedication and determination. I admit that if I had not noticed these traits in her and forged a friendship I would've never met her best friend and gained the love of my life."_

"What year was this?" Sara looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Eighteen Forty-one."

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I do not know. Ben is dead, but as I told Jim there are still small groups of blood packers still around that are used for different tasks." He shook his head. "But she needs to know we're alive."

"I agree, there is power in numbers. If we are to succeed in the total elimination of the remaining factions then we need all of the help we can get."

XXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Seeley exited the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist to enter the living room realizing that he had forgotten clothes in his haste. As he opened the door he saw Temperance on his couch, a bag beside her and he felt a sting in his heart.

"You're leaving." It was not a question.

"In a few days, work. I know I have no right to ask but would you mind cutting your vacation short and come to DC with me?" Her body language literally screamed her distaste.

His answer was immediate. "Of course I will."

Seeley watched her expression change from pained to excited as she eased up from her perch on the couch and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"No, Temperance. Thank you." He kissed her brow. "You have given me something amazing without even knowing it and you couldn't be more perfect."

"What do you think about trying to find my mentor? I haven't spoken to him in close to two hundred years." She shook her head.

His eyes widened, _two hundred years? _"How long does your kind live?"

"For a pureblood, up to several thousand years. A halfbreed can make it there but sometimes the hunger for human blood is too great. The oldest halfbreed that ever lived, existed to be exactly eight hundred forty-two years of age."

"What happened to him?" Seeley found himself asking.

"He lost his human wife and didn't survive the grief." Temperance looked at him. "I will tell you now that some humans choose to remain mortal. My mother did and my father was devastated when she passed. She had a disease that is now classified as Alzheimer's disease. Milly had lived to be seventy years old which was a rare feat back in the eighteen hundreds."

"Would you live for me, if I asked you to?" His eyes met hers and a hesitant sadness filled the hazel depths. "I mean..."

She pressed two fingers to his lips and trailed the fingertips of her other had down his face. "I would do anything and everything to make you happy, Seeley. I've told you several times, I could deny you nothing."

They kissed, a sweet kiss, a kiss full of passion, desire, and love. "Let's take a nap. It's been a full day."

Seeley was glad that she didn't argue.

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The man known only as Death looked out at the horizon and took a deep breath of the mountain air. It had been the first time in so very long that he'd been able to see the outside world for what it was instead of the distorted vision Ben had infused in their minds. Death watched cars pass by as he rested on the perch of rock he had chosen as his vantage point.

He wondered how everyone he'd freed would take their new found lives and if the Vampire's would finally get their peace of mind. His scared face was something he never wanted to see again, signs of Ben's heartlessness and torture. Death was glad he left, glad he took care of the main problem. However, his work was far from over and everything he had to accomplish lied beyond these abysmal walls.

His reign of terror finally spent, the other factions needed to be disbanded. A sickening sense of dread cast over him and his mind lit up with a vision of vast proportions. This gift given to him as punishment for the sins he committed while in Ben's employ. Death remembered being his most devoted follower until the heated knives carved his face.

Tracing his fingers down the jagged slices he growled low in his throat before pulling his cloak over his shoulders and turning towards the sunset. War had been declared and there was no way the rest of the blood packers would get away with their sins. Judgment would come and he would be the one to bring it.


	13. Twelve

_**Disclaimer: I do not own BONES or CSI...just borrowing them.**_

_**AN: I am so unbelieveably sorry that this is sooooo damn late. I've been so busy and uninspired and going to retire that it's just been hectic. I've lost documents, moved, got married, and then finally found stories I've been working on. Again, I'm sorry for this but here is the next chapter. This book will end and segue into the next and final book. As promised I'm finishing the stories that are still in progress even though it is taking a while. All I ask is that you please be patient with me. **_

_**This story is also unbeta'd so any mistakes are my own. **_

_**I'd like to thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me throughout my fanwriting years. It has meant a lot to me. This retirement may not be permanent if I do finally once again become inspired. As of late, nothing has been holding my interest as it once did. I still hope you will read and enjoy my stories that I will finish at this time. **_

_**So thank you it's been fun,**_

_**WG**_

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Twelve

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Temperance was thankful that the airport was not crowded as she bought tickets for both her and her companion. Seeley stood in the corner with their bags looking decidedly male and it sent her body into overdrive. This man looked better than he had right to, the tight gray T-shirt, the blue jeans; he was base and elemental.

"So, which gate? I already checked our luggage." He smiled and approached her. She wondered where time had gone since he no longer had the bags and was gazing upon her with an expectant look.

"Gate four-C, last one on the left." She replied with a soft smile just as the intercom sounded.

"_Gate four-C is now boarding, please have all luggage checked at the gate and have your tickets ready."_

"I guess that's us, eh Bones?" He chuckled and she gave him a side glance.

"Bones?" Temperance questioned.

"Well, you're an anthropologist, deal with 'bones' all day and Temperance, although beautiful, is a mouthful at times. So Bones." Seeley's smile was wide and she couldn't help but give in. "If you don't approve I ..."

She cut him off. "I understand."

After they shared a soft embrace, she leaned against his side as they made their way to the gate in question. Ten minutes later, after every single procedure had been executed, they sat in first class together leaning against each other.

"So where do you work?"

"Honestly, I work everywhere I can. I love to travel, but my home is in DC. I live next to a museum and well, I visit there every now and then." She sighed, breathing him in. "I don't have to work, but I do because I would be bored without it."

"I see, living a while you've made some investments?"

"A lot of investments, good investments. I also give money to charities that I firmly believe in." Temperance looked into his eyes, the color darker than usual as she caught his arousal in the air. "Don't tease me."

"I know, but you bring it out in me." Seeley kissed her neck.

"Well, as with most human traditions I have no desire to join the mile high club. You have seemed more reserved until lately."

"Don't knock it until you've tried it."

"Have you?" She watched his eyebrows raise.

"No!" Seeley denied quickly and the expression on his face had her trying to keep her laughter at bay. "I haven't been with someone long enough to try it with and Rebecca didn't like to travel." He sighed. "I'm not pushing this on you, Bones. I just wondered if you'd like to try. I find myself at a loss with the desire I feel for you and this is really something I wouldn't propose to anyone else."

"Your trust in me is very much appreciated. I will think about it." She couldn't resist trailing her fangs up his neck just to watch him squirm.

XX

Gil and Sara looked around the large museum before them in complete awe. He couldn't believe that his good friend worked here part time. Hell, he couldn't get over how much she had accomplished. Sara stood beside him while he read plaque after plaque of information she had contributed to the archives. Mostly of ancient cultures and their artifacts.

"Sasha seems well-read." Sara commented softly.

"I believe she goes by Temperance now." Gil chuckled before enclosing her in his arms. "She always loved to read about history, talk to me about science. I miss our nightly conversations."

"Did you?"

"Love her? As a friend, like a daughter since her own father was more interested in politics. The society was his priority, although she grew up well." He shrugged. "He was over five hundred, clearly a master in his prime. His wife, a human. Christian was many things, but completely aware of the entire picture...no I'm afraid not. So she came to me to learn."

"And Liam?"

"Liam Forsythe, an Irish/English settler in the society. A halfbreed human, like you were."

"Did he?"

"Yes, a month after you." He answered her unspoken question.

Voices from the past reached his ears then, the female clearly Temperance, and the male...the male sounded like Liam albeit without the accent. His eyes widened as he turned around, Sara in tow, to face them. It was as if he was coming home.

"Temperance!" Gil smiled as her eyes widened in return, her companion stopping beside her.

"I believe you go by Gil nowadays." She rushed to hug him and he returned her embrace. "Vivian?"

"Sara Sidle now." Sara smiled before being embraced. "I know you, you're Seeley Booth the photographer for Nat Geo."

"Yup, one in the same." He laughed before also being embraced by Gil.

"I guess you know about the past." Gil smiled. "It is good to have you back, Liam."

Seeley scratched the back of his neck. "I don't think I'll get used to that. The only reason I'm here is by chance."

"There are no coincidences. You're here, because you are meant to be here." Gil sighed. "Seeley, you were reunited with Sasha because it was inevitable. Just as I was reunited with Vivian, or Sara now."

"What happened to Ben, I know he's still our there?" Temperance asked as she and Sara rejoined the group.

"He's dead."

Tempe's eyes widened. "When?"

"A few days ago, he had captured my adoptive father." Sara answered. "A man came to the house, called himself 'Death', he killed Ben and he's off now to take care of the rest."

"There's more than just the bloodpackers." Gil spoke up after a moment. "However, the factions are dying out and I hope the warriors will keep them at bay."

Seeley's eyes widened. "I'm just getting used to this whole deal. Now what are we dealing with?"

"You were abducted too?" Sara asked.

"How..."

"You have the same expression Jim had." Gil explained. "It never really goes away."

"No." Seeley agreed. "It doesn't."

"Why don't we go somewhere and talk." Temperance suggested after a pause.

"Of course." Gil smiled. "Where would you suggest?"

"My place."

XX

Seeley thought he was stepping onto the set of MTV Cribs as they walked into the three story mansion. He couldn't believe that she lived here. When she turned to him with a sheepish smile, he couldn't help but laugh.

"It belongs to a good friend of mine, a halfbreed like me, his name is Jack Hodgins. I met him when I came to America and he makes his money through pharmaceuticals. His wife is Angela Montenegro, a human." She explained softly. "I didn't want to live here at first, but I realized I became lonely and wished for company if I couldn't have companionship. I won't have any other but you."

"Oh sweetie!" Angela rushed forward and hugged her before setting her on her feet. "It's so good to see you back, why didn't you call me!"

"I came back early because of work and..." Temperance was then pushed aside so that Seeley was in view.

"Is this the hunk of man you have in your sketchbooks?"

"Seeley, Angela..." She pointed. "Angela, Seeley Booth."

"Hi..." Seeley greeted awkwardly before being pulled into a hug.

"It's so good to see you, I hope that you stay so that our girl here can finally have a bit of happiness. She doesn't get out much unless it's work..."

"Angela, please release the man." A male voice chuckled. As he the man came into view, his eyes were a sharp red/gold combination, he had a full beard, and dressed in a blue hoodie and blue jeans. His feet were bare. "You must be Temperance's Liam Forsythe. I am Jack Hodgins."

Seeley looked uncomfortable for a minute. "I go by Seeley Booth now, Photographer to the National Geographic."

"Alright stop crowding the poor human." Gil spoke from the back of the group pulling Sara with him. "We came here to catch up with our old friends."

"Of course, I'll have some refreshments put into the sitting room." Jack smiled. "Come, Angela."

XX

Temperance sat on one of the plush couches with Seeley close beside her as Sara and Gil sat across from them. Both couples seemed a bit nervous at this reunion, but it was a long time coming. Two hundred years, in fact.

"So where have you been since our part of the society disbanded?" Gil asked as he stirred his tea. "I would've loved to hear from you."

"A month after you left, Liam passed and when I was found out...I left willingly. My father died shortly after due to mom..."

XX

"_I cannot house you hear anymore, Sasha. With your father so out of touch with reality...I am afraid that the implications."_

"_You've spoken your piece, Edgar. You won't house me since I wasn't a part of this place to begin with. The only reason you allowed me to stay was because of my father's status in the society." _

"_I am sorry."_

_Her eyes narrowed. "No you're not." _

XX

"Edgar was becoming cruel in his old age." Temperance sighed. "I knew that after you left, there would be no place for me any more. Jonothan left with his bride to America, and when you had chosen to leave the place was not fit to live in anymore. Father was so far gone from my mother's illness, I just decided to go."

"My mind had been lost in that time. My best friend would not tell me of my loss and I ran across the country, had a run in with the bloodpackers, almost died. Then I ventured to America." Gil told his tale. "I then found Sara and well, the rest is history."

"So, tell us about yourself Seeley." Sara smiled.

"Well, I was born and raised here...joined the Army young, discovered that I loved to travel so I started photography where I met Rebecca. We had a brief relationship, it just never felt right because something just didn't click with us. She became pregnant, we have a son, and well he's a part of me." Seeley shrugged. "I kept having these dreams and I knew that the love of my life was out there somewhere. We parted on equal terms."

Gil nodded with a soft sigh. "Do you see him?"

"Yes, I do. Even though she's married now, I understand that Parker needs to stay with her since I travel constantly. I hope to retire soon."

"It's interesting to know that you have a child." Gil smiled. "Tell me about him."

"He's a wonderful boy." Seeley began with a twinkle in his eye. "Always gets into stuff, loves to camp, play games, and he collects comic books. I bought him a toy camera for Christmas and he says he wants to travel around and take pictures like his daddy."

"You must be proud."

"I am."

Temperance sighed softly as she listened to her love speak fondly of his little boy. She wished that they might have children together one day and maybe when his son came of age that he may join her world. He seemed open-minded like his father. Even if her wishes never came true, she knew that Seeley was her only love and she would do whatever it took to stay with him no matter the consequences.


End file.
